How do they take of stain?...(in chemistry view)

What is color-safe bleach?

I now know what is in chlorine bleach.
Thanks
But do the chlorine ions atrract stain or do they dissolve it?

So color safe bleach protects the color of my clothes, but how do they do so?

Believe it of not, the answer to this question involves quantum mechanics. Basically, quantum mechanics causes there to be set levels of energy that electrons within molecules can have. When they drop down an energy level, they release energy. In dyes and stains, this energy is in the form of visible light. These electrons also hold the molecule together. Oxidizing agents (such as oxygen and bleach) break these bonds by removing some electrons. By breaking the bonds, the energy levels are changed to ones that aren't separated by the right energy to emit light.

The difference between chlorine bleach and color-safe bleach is simply a matter of how strong of an oxidizing agent the bleach is. Chlorine bleach is strong enough to break the bonds in both stains and dyes. Color-safe bleaches are strong enough to break the bonds in most stains, but not strong enough to break the bonds in most dyes.

While chloring bleaches contain sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), many color-safe bleaches contain sodium perborate(NaBO₂·H₂O₂·H₂O)

[This message was edited by methos5000 on 08-25-03 at 09:38 AM.]

Wow, Methos REALLY GREAT answer.

I learned something new.

Thanks.
I know now!

Some follow up questions:
Ive heard that we cant mix Chlorine bleach with any other household and cleaning products.
why?
Also, how is bleach actually made?
Last, why dont sellers sell chlorine bleach at different concentration?.........
diluting them makes me mad!

Alvyn, I know one reason why you shouldn't mix chorine bleach with one cleaning product---ammonia. I tried that one time and almost killed myself. It makes ammonia choride which immediately zaps all of the oxygen out of the air. I had to run out of my house so that I could breath; felt pretty stupid (again) I could just see my headstone now---"Died trying to clean the house".

Mixing bleach and ammonia can also create chloramines (NH₂Cl, NHCl₂, and NCl₃) none of which are particularly friendly chemicals.

As for why bleach isn't sold in more dilute forms, I imagine it has to do with shipping costs. Although the extra water the companies would have to add wouldn't cost them much, shipping that water all over the country would cost a significant amount. It is cheaper for them to ship a fairly concentrated solution to you, and then let you dilute it.

The 5.25% bleach now the super strength bleaches of 6.5% or so are particulary stable.
They're made basic with some sodium hydroxide to keep the form NaClO in solution. There are stronger solutions available for commercial laundries but their stability is much less and they're more dangerous to handle. The commerical bleach is a good balance of safety. ease of use and shipping costs.