I do like oxiclean (or a cheap store brand version of it)and it does not ruin clothes at all. It is a type of bleach that is much gentler and than liquid chlorine bleach. It also doesn't stink and is not toxic like liquid chlorine bleach.
In my experience it works best if you pre-treat the stains with it directly. If I have serious stains in clothes (or on the carpet) I make a paste of oxiclean and hot (almost boiling) water. That mixture bubbles up a lot and I put that foam and the liquid directly on the stain and let it soak a while. I have been very successful at removing old, set-in stains that way. Adding oxiclean to the wash seems to help a little with stain removal and to prevent dingyness. It is tough to evaluate how effective it is though.
Good luck with your project. Hope it will be a success. Are you doing any presentations of stain removal? I think that would be interesting.

Oxyclean works great, and I have never had it damage anything (unlike chlorine bleach). I usually use it to soak stained items. If you let them sit for several hours the stains are usually gone when I remove the items from the solution. If there is any stain left, it generally washes out in the washer.

It works great for stains AND odors. I had to soak my son's football gear (left in the locker room for WAY too long!)after washing and presoaking 3 times and the smell still wouldn't go away. I soaked it in Oxyclean in the sink and it smelled fresher than when he got it.

Hi oxycleen,

No, Oxyclean does not ruin clothes when used properly. Like most "oxygen bleaches" it is simply a sodium percobonate compound which, when dissolved in water, breaks down into sodium carbonate and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The latter of course does the real work, and as you're likely aware H2O2 is used in whitening toothpastes, creams and all manner of stain removers because it is able to essentially bleach color from many materials, making them less absorbent to visible light.

Like regular chlorine bleach it is an oxidizing agent, so most of the same precautions apply (i.e. don't try mixing with other household chemicals).

Hi Oxycleen,
You can get all the info you need for your project at
www.oxyboost.com Its all about sodium percarbonate.
(same stuff used in affresh tablets for FL washers)

Yes it works well in the laundry, and as a general cleaner. Used it to scrub a mildewed set of outdoor chairs, and it cleaned them quite well. Good luck at the science fair.

Of note, do not use Oxyclean on anything with wool content. It will yellow the item.

I agree with all the posts above. I presoaked my son's yellow armpit white tee shirts, and then washed them using detergent and Oxyclean. It worked beautifully. Now, if he would change his deodorant...Thanks for the tip on not using it for wool, emagineer! I did not know that.