Yeah, peroxide's definitely a tricky one. It's great for teeth because enamel is pretty resistant and dentists know exactly how to handle it—concentration, timing, all that stuff matters. But fabrics? Way more delicate and unpredictable. I learned the hard way myself when I tried to fix a tomato sauce stain on my favorite hoodie. Thought I was being clever, mixed peroxide with baking soda (thanks, random internet tutorial...), and ended up with a weird faded blob. It didn't even remove the stain completely; just made it look like some abstract art piece gone wrong.
The thing with peroxide is that it acts like a mild bleach, breaking down pigments in stains—but unfortunately, it doesn't discriminate between stain pigments and dye pigments. Darker or brightly colored fabrics are especially vulnerable. And unlike teeth, clothes don't regenerate their color or enamel, so once the dye's damaged, you're stuck.
If anyone's thinking of trying it again, always test a tiny hidden spot first and dilute it significantly. Or better yet, stick to safer DIY methods like dish soap or vinegar-water mixes. Honestly though, sometimes it's worth shelling out a couple bucks for a proper stain remover. Learned that lesson myself after losing a hoodie I really liked.
I feel your pain on that one... I once tried a DIY stain remover recipe with lemon juice and peroxide on my favorite navy blue shirt. Thought I'd finally cracked the code to removing coffee stains. Nope—ended up with a weird, patchy tie-dye effect instead. Now I just wear it around the house, hoping people think it's intentionally artsy rather than a laundry fail. Lesson learned: always test first or just stick to the store-bought stuff.
Hmm, I get being cautious, but is store-bought really safer? I've had some commercial stain removers fade colors too. Maybe it's more about fabric type or washing temp... Did you check the label first before trying your DIY mix?
