Illuminate is a natural powder that is a safe, effective alternative to chlorine bleach. It offers hundreds of uses! We’ve detailed many below.
LAUNDRY
Illuminate will brighten, whiten and deodorize your clothes AND add extra softening power to your water. It’s safe to use on colors - in fact, it can brighten those as well. Always spot test prior to use for colorfastness. Always defer to garment label directions. Do not use on upholstered furniture, wool blends, leather, silk blends, or fabrics labeled for dry clean only. Do not mix with products containing ammonia or chlorine bleach.
HOW TO SPOT TEST: One easy way to test if a fabric is colorfast is to dampen a clean, white cloth. Rub the wet cloth on an interior seam or hem of a colored garment. If any color comes off onto the white cloth, then the item is not colorfast and the dye will run when the garment is washed.
LAUNDRY BOOST: Add (2 Tbsp for light/moderate soiled laundry & 4 Tbsp for heavily soiled laundry) directly to drum before adding clothes. Warm/hot water recommended but it can still be added to cooler water temperatures.
WHEN DO I NEED A LAUNDRY BOOST? Dingy and dull clothes and linens, extra stinky clothes, workout wear or just an extra boost.
LAUNDRY SOAK: Dissolve 1/4 cup in a gallon of hot water. Add item(s) and ensure they are submerged (placing a white towel on top of the item will keep it in place.) Soak for at least one hour up to overnight, then rinse. Wash in a normal cycle.
WHAT SHOULD I SOAK? Synthetics that absorb oils and odors are great for soaks. Check the label to ensure fabric can withstand hot temperatures. For fabrics more sensitive to hot temps, let solution cool slightly before submerging clothes. A soak is also effective for whitening yellowed linens, curtains, armpit stains or deodorizing and cleaning tennis shoes.
STRIPPING: Filling your bathtub with the hottest water possible. Add 1 cup (not scoop - cup) of Illuminate. After about four hours of soak time, squeeze out excess water as much as possible. Then run the laundry through a wash cycle in your washing machine without any detergent. Stripping is only recommended for white fabrics and avoid fabrics like comforters and pillows as a high pH will strip the oils and could even cause the fabric to crack.
DIAPERS:
- Use as a laundry booster with every wash: Add 2 Tbsp (1 oz.) plus laundry soap for main wash. Warm/hot water recommended for main wash.
- Stain pre-treat: Rinse with cold water or do a speed wash with cold water. Hot water will set stains. Spray with Illuminate soluton (see "STAIN TREATMENT" section below). Sprinkle Illuminate, spray with solution and agitate. Rinse again. For more stubbon stains, soak them per directions in next bullet.
- Soak for stains: Pre-rinse diapers with cold water with no soap. Add 4 Tbsp (2 oz.) to hot water. Let soak for 1-6 hours. Oxygen Powder stops working after 6 hours, so there is no need to soak longer than that.
- Soak for bacteria remover: Pre-rinse diapers as directed above. Add 4 Tbsp (2 oz.) to hot water with a low water setting (just to cover the diapers, increasing the concentration of oxygen bleach). Let soak for at least 15 minutes. Oxygen bleach needs just 15 minutes to disinfect, so there is no need to soak longer than that for bacteria removal.
STAIN TREATMENT
Various stains require different treatments. Keys to general stain removal success include:
- Act quickly. Try to treat the stain as quickly as possible.
- Don’t set the stain! Try cold water first rather than hot as hot can set some types of stains.
- Blot the stain away initially. Do not rub it into the fabric.
- Oil-based stains are treated differently. See tips below.
- Don’t put Illuminate directly on stains on colored clothes without testing for colorfastness first. Use the stain solution (listed below) or the above laundry soak instead.
There are two ways to use Illuminate in treating stains.
- STAIN SOLUTION: Dissolve 3 Tbsp in 2 cups of hot water. Pour into a bottle. Do not cover for long periods of time as pressure can build in the bottle causing it to explode. A stain solution will remain active 5-6 hours. You can discard the mixture down the drain after use - it actually is helpful in cleaning drains, disposals and toilets.
- APPLY POWDER AND AGITATE. (only use on approved white fabrics and colored garments tested for colorfastness or tested in an inconspicuous spot). More details below.
HOW TO STAIN TREAT WITH ILLUMINATE
Non-oil-based stains on fabrics: Test for colorfastness on colored garments. Blot stain (do not rub) with cold water to remove as much as possible. Once you have removed as much of the stain as possible through cold water blotting, gently sprinkle a small amount of illuminate on the stain and agitate with a toothbrush or by rubbing the fabric against one another. Let sit 3-5 minutes. Rinse. If stain remains, repeat or place in laundry soak and let sit for an hour to overnight. Feel free to add a bit of Scour to the stain as well.
Oil-based stains on fabrics: Test for colorfastness on colored garments. Apply Scour directly onto stain and let sit. Sprinkle Illuminate on the spot and agitate with a toothbrush or by rubbing the fabric against one another. Let sit 3-5 minutes. Rinse. If stain remains, repeat or place in laundry soak and let sit for an hour to overnight. Test fabric for colorfastness (see above.) Blot stain (do not rub) with cold water to remove as much as possible.
BATH
GROUT: In a separate bowl, mix together a ¼ cup of Scour with 1 Tbsp of Illuminate. Spray grout with Illuminate cleaning solution and apply Scour+Illuminate mixture to the grout. Scrub with a non-abrastive scrubbing brush or sponge and let sit 20-30 minutes. Rinse.
TOILETS: Add 1/4 cup. Wait 15 minutes and then scrub.
SINKS & TUBS: Wet the area with either water, spraying with All Purpose Cleaner OR Illuminate cleaning solution. Sprinkle Scour around area and scrub in circular motions with a non-abrasive sponge or brush. Rinse away. For stained areas, sprinkle a bit more Scour in area. Add a bit of Illuminate powder and scrub again and let sit for a minute. Rinse.
SHOWER CURTAINS: Soak in one ounce per gallon of hot water; for mildew stains soak overnight.
KITCHEN
SINK: Wet the area with either water, spraying with All Purpose Cleaner OR Illuminate cleaning solution. Sprinkle Scour around area and scrub in circular motions with a non-abrasive sponge or brush. Rinse away. For stained areas, sprinkle a bit more Scour in area. Add a bit of Illuminate powder and scrub again and let sit for a minute. Rinse.
REFRIGERATOR: After cleaning your fridge with our All Purpose Cleaner or Scour, treat any remaining stained areas with Illuminate cleaning solution.
CUTTING BOARDS: Spray with Illuminate cleaning solution and let sit for a few minutes. Add a dollap of Scour. Rub in circular motions. Rinse and let dry. If the board is wooden, apply Revival to the dry board if it is needed.
SURFACE STAINS: Test an inconspicuous spot. Spray Illuminate cleaning solution, sprinkle Scour and a bit of Illuminate powder. Scrub with a non-abrasive sponge or brush in circular motion. Let sit for 10-20 minutes. If stain remains, spray with solution and let sit for 10 minutes.
CARPET: Blot stain. Spray stain with Illuminate cleaning solution. Add a small amount of Scour. Agitate and let sit for 10-30 minutes. Blot up moisture. Vacuum when dry.
More to come!
