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Chapter 4: Bleaches and brighteners · Part 1: Oxygen bleaches

Sodium percarbonate

  • Poison schedule (Australia)
Also called
sodium carbonate peroxide, oxygen bleach
Found in
laundry powder, bleach boosters, stain-remover powder, dishwasher tablets

The worst fact: some laundry boosters are 65 to 85% percarbonate, and the pure powder is sold to households. Above 25%, it can cause permanent eye damage if it isn't washed out straight away. In Australia it's a Schedule 5 Poison above 15% and a Schedule 6 Poison above 35%.

Why brands use it: it's a powder that releases hydrogen peroxide in water, so it bleaches tea, coffee and wine stains.

Take care if: you have children aged 5 or under. Dishwasher tablets often use it, and in UK poison-line data on film-wrapped dishwasher tablets, 93% of cases involved children that age. Two-thirds had no symptoms. Keep the powder out of your eyes.

Comes from: washing soda (sodium carbonate) reacted with hydrogen peroxide.

Myth check: "Oxygen bleach is non-toxic": not quite. Australia's regulator rates it moderately toxic if swallowed, and it can cause lasting eye damage. It's milder than chlorine bleach, not harmless.

Contaminants: nil.

Fair to say: in water it splits into hydrogen peroxide and washing soda, and the peroxide breaks down to water and oxygen. The industry's risk assessment found no adverse effect on consumers from normal use.

We use this ingredient. It's the oxygen bleach in our Dishwasher Powder, where it shifts tea, coffee and tomato stains. It works inside a closed machine and is rinsed away before you open the door. Keep the powder away from children and out of your eyes.

Correct as of November 2026. What the badges mean

Sources

  • Australian Government. Poisons Standard October 2026 (SUSMP), F2026L01327: chlorinating compounds, dichloroisocyanuric acid, hydrogen peroxide, sodium percarbonate, peracetic acid, ammonia.
  • Safe Work Australia. Hazardous Chemical Information System (HCIS): classifications for each chemical, and for borax. hcis.safeworkaustralia.gov.au
  • NICNAS. IMAP Tier II assessments: sodium percarbonate (2016); hydrogen peroxide (2014); perborates (2018); peracetic acid (2013). industrialchemicals.gov.au
  • HERA. Risk assessments: sodium percarbonate (2002); hydrogen peroxide (2005); sodium perborate (2002); TAED (2003); FWA-1 (2004); FWA-5 (2003). heraproject.com
  • Day R et al. Soluble film automatic dishwashing products reported to the UK NPIS 2008–2015. Clin Toxicol 2016;54(9):862-866.

The full source list is at the end of Chapter 4.