Can I Use Ammonia for My Wash?

Perspiration

• Ammonia is effective at removing perspiration stains in many fabrics. It can also minimize the damage caused by some antiperspirants. Sponge the stained area with ammonia before washing. When applying to wool or silk, dilute the household ammonia with an equal amount of water.

Stains

• Use ammonia as a spotter to help lift stubborn stains, such as blood, grease, ink and lipstick. For blood, soak the item in lukewarm water, with 3 tablespoons of ammonia added per gallon of water. Add up to 4 tablespoons of ammonia to the water if it is an ink stain. For a nail polish stain, soak the stain in denatured alcohol and then add a few drops of ammonia. If you get paint on fabric, moisten the stain with turpentine and then rub with ammonia, before washing.

Adding to Laundry

• Liquid ammonia improves the performance of laundry detergent, and people often use it as a laundry additive, to brighten the laundry. When adding ammonia to your wash load, add the detergent and ammonia before adding the laundry. Use about 1/2 cup of household ammonia to a load of wash. Don’t use it instead of detergent, but with detergent.

Risks

• Never add ammonia to bleach. The two together create a potentially lethal gas. Therefore, if you add bleach to the wash load, never add ammonia, and vice versa. Even if the wash water has only traces of bleach, don’t add the ammonia. Before adding ammonia to the load, read your laundry detergent label and make sure it doesn’t contain a bleach additive, as many detergents do.

Fabric Damage

• While ammonia is commonly used as a laundry additive and stain remover and sometimes to treat discolored fabric, occasionally it discolors fabric, such as when using it as a spot-remover on some carpets and upholstery. For this reason, test the ammonia solution on an out-of-the-way area of the carpet or upholstery before applying.