Household cleaning
Dr. Beckmann Original Colour Run Remover dupe
Why pay around £2.50 for Dr. Beckmann? The bulk active is Sodium dithionite ~85% (textile hydrosulphite) — 70% less per working litre than a typical shelf pack.
From the retail pack to the active and the mix
1 · Retail
Dr. Beckmann Original Colour Run Remover
75 grams · £2.50 typical snapshot
Salts, optical brightener and perfume
2 · Active
Sodium dithionite (hydrosulphite)
22% on the label
7775-14-6Na2S2O4
Bulk Sodium dithionite ~85% (textile hydrosulphite)
3 · Mix
20 g of 85% in 5 L warm soak (≈4 g/L — one sachet’s active)
£0.07 per working litre · 70% less than the shelf pack
- Active
- Sodium dithionite (hydrosulphite)
- CAS
- 7775-14-6
- Dupe
- Sodium dithionite ~85% (textile hydrosulphite)
- Saving
- 70% / L
Saving is per litre of working-strength mix versus a typical pack price, not versus the DIY kit total. Shop prices move — always check the listing.
Label teardown
What the pack promises versus what the label chemistry actually is.
The marketing claim
“Removes unwanted dyes after a colour-run wash”
The chemical reality
The 75 g sachet is a reductive bleach: 15–30% sodium dithionite (CAS 7775-14-6), not Vanish percarbonate and not hypochlorite. About 20 g of 85% textile hydrosulphite in a 5 L soak matches the sachet’s active without the laundry-aisle tax. It liberates sulphur dioxide if it meets acid — never mix it with vinegar, descale or bleach.
Active vs filler
22% Sodium dithionite (hydrosulphite) · 78% carrier / filler — Salts, optical brightener and perfume
- Typical retail
- £2.50
- 75 grams
- Estimated active cost
- £0.35
- Scaled from bulk £18.00 / 1 kg
- Indicative markup
- 7.2×
- Snapshot maths, not a live shop price
The Marketing Claim & The Catch
A 75 grams pack of Dr. Beckmann Original Colour Run Remover typically retails around £2.50 in household cleaning. That is a UK shelf-price snapshot for the maths on this page — not a live shop quote or a manufacturer RRP. Listings, sizes and deals move. The marketing line is that you are buying a finished lifestyle product, not a weighed chemical.
On the pack: Removes unwanted dyes after a colour-run wash; Restores whites and colours in one treatment; and Use in the machine or as a hand soak.
The catch: The 75 g sachet is a reductive bleach: 15–30% sodium dithionite (CAS 7775-14-6), not Vanish percarbonate and not hypochlorite. About 20 g of 85% textile hydrosulphite in a 5 L soak matches the sachet’s active without the laundry-aisle tax. It liberates sulphur dioxide if it meets acid — never mix it with vinegar, descale or bleach.
- “Removes unwanted dyes after a colour-run wash”
- “Restores whites and colours in one treatment”
- “Use in the machine or as a hand soak”
Proprietary Blend & Dosage Breakdown
The labelled active is Sodium dithionite (hydrosulphite) at 22%. Everything else in the pack is salts, optical brightener and perfume.
At 22% active, most of what you pay for is carrier and packaging. The brand is selling convenience, fragrance and a label — not a uniquely potent molecule.
Branded working strength is whatever comes out of the bottle. The bulk alternative is 85% Sodium dithionite ~85% (textile hydrosulphite), mixed to 20 g of 85% in 5 L warm soak (≈4 g/L — one sachet’s active).
- Labelled active
- Sodium dithionite (hydrosulphite)
- 22%
- Carrier
- Salts, optical brightener and perfume
- Retail pack
- 75 grams · £2.50
The Active Chemical Alternative (Dupe Stack)
The dupe stack is Sodium dithionite ~85% (textile hydrosulphite) at 85% bulk. Indexed as CAS 7775-14-6, formula Na2S2O4. Buy it as 1 kg for around £18.00 from Amazon UK.
Working strength: 20 g of 85% in 5 L warm soak (≈4 g/L — one sachet’s active). Indicative cost £0.07 per diluted litre — 70% below a typical branded pack on a per-litre basis, before you reuse leftover bulk.
Follow the mixing method and the supplier SDS. Wear the listed PPE. Do not mix incompatible oxidisers, acids or ammonia.
- Reducing bleach. Gloves and ventilation. Never mix with acids (vinegar, citric, sulfamic, formic) or hypochlorite — sulphur dioxide or a wasted oxidiser fight.
- Weigh 20 g of ~85% sodium dithionite into 5 litres of warm (not boiling) water. That is about 4 g/L and matches the 15–30% dithionite in a 75 g sachet used as a bowl soak.
- Submerge the colour-run load, keep it moving for 10–20 minutes, then rinse and wash as usual. Test a hidden seam first — not every dye discharges.
- 1 kg at 20 g per soak is about fifty sachets. Store dry and sealed; the powder oxidises in air and cakes if damp.
- This is a dye-run rescue, not a Vanish Oxi pre-soak and not thin bleach. Food-contact kit only if you rinse thoroughly; keep away from children.
Dilution recipe
5 L sprayer
Working strength 20 g of 85% in 5 L warm soak (≈4 g/L — one sachet’s active). Educational estimate from the listed ratio — check the SDS before you mix.
Chemical
20 grams
Sodium dithionite ~85% (textile hydrosulphite)
Water
5 litres
Carrier / diluent
0% concentrate · 100% water by working volume (solids are dissolved into the water share).
Required PPE
Loading calculator…
Side-by-Side Price & Potency Comparison
Head-to-head comparison
| Measure | Retail brandedDr. Beckmann | Raw active dupeDupeStack |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Original Colour Run RemoverAmazon UK search — listing, not a confirmed seller | Sodium dithionite ~85% (textile hydrosulphite) |
| Pack / unit | 75 grams · £2.50 | 1 kg · £18.00 |
| Active | Sodium dithionite (hydrosulphite) at 22%Carrier: Salts, optical brightener and perfume | 85% bulkNa2S2O4 |
| CAS number | Not disclosed on pack | 7775-14-6 |
| Working strength | Ready-to-use pack | Dilute 20 g of 85% in 5 L warm soak (≈4 g/L — one sachet’s active) |
| Cost per litre | £2.50 / pack | £0.07 / L mixed from bulk |
| Headline saving | Baseline | 70% cheaper |
| COSHH / PPE | Follow the branded SDS | Gloves. Chemical-resistant gloves (nitrile or neoprene)Eye protection. Indirect-vent splash goggles — not ordinary spectaclesVentilation. Use outdoors or with mechanical extraction |
Active ingredient and cheaper alternative — FAQ
Is this the same as Vanish Oxi Action?
No. Vanish Oxi is sodium percarbonate (CAS 15630-89-4) — an oxidiser soak. Colour Run Remover is sodium dithionite, a reducing bleach that strips loose dye. Different SDS, different gas risk. Do not mix them.
Can I pour it in with vinegar or citric descale?
Never. Dithionite plus acid releases sulphur dioxide (EUH031). Keep it away from kettle descalers, Viakal, Cillit Bang limescale and bleach. One chemistry, then rinse.
How do you mix the Original Colour Run Remover dupe stack?
Reducing bleach. Gloves and ventilation. Never mix with acids (vinegar, citric, sulfamic, formic) or hypochlorite — sulphur dioxide or a wasted oxidiser fight. Weigh 20 g of ~85% sodium dithionite into 5 litres of warm (not boiling) water. That is about 4 g/L and matches the 15–30% dithionite in a 75 g sachet used as a bowl soak. Submerge the colour-run load, keep it moving for 10–20 minutes, then rinse and wash as usual. Test a hidden seam first — not every dye discharges. 1 kg at 20 g per soak is about fifty sachets. Store dry and sealed; the powder oxidises in air and cakes if damp. This is a dye-run rescue, not a Vanish Oxi pre-soak and not thin bleach. Food-contact kit only if you rinse thoroughly; keep away from children.
DupeStack provides chemical concentration data and educational mixing guides only. Wellness pages compare food supplements, not medicines or prescribed treatments. Always review the supplier Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and comply with UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and COSHH regulations when handling concentrated substances. Mixing and storage are at your own risk. Some links are affiliate advertisements (Amazon Associates, eBay Partner Network, and Awin when those programmes are live). Commissions do not change listed concentrations or calculator output.
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Indicative DIY stack