ABSTRACT
The introduction of hypochlorite bleach in the early 19th century was a great progress compared to the lawn bleach. However, overdosage of this reactive compound can result to fiber damage. The development of cotton fabrics and high-quality coloring lead in the beginning of the 20th century to the search for gentler bleaching agents. The result was sodium perborate, which was first used in 1907 as bleach component in household products. Since then, perborate is the preferred bleaching agent in most of the European countries. InAmerica andAsia, the hypochlorite bleach is still dominant because of different washing conditions, e.g., lower temperatures and shorter wash cycles. Bleaching systems are nowadays commonly used in laundry detergents, stain removers, automatic dishwashing detergents, toilet cleansers, and denture cleansers. Liquid, water-based detergents for household use, with exception of disinfectants, do usually not contain bleaching systems. Bleaching systems can be expected in liquid detergents for industrial and institutional use.
