"Bleach" did not sell well but received positive reviews from critics when it was first released. "NME"s Edwin Pouncey said that the album was the "biggest, baddest sound that Sub Pop have so far managed to unearth. So primitive that they manage to make label mates Mudhoney sound like Genesis, Nirvana turn up the volume and spit and claw their way to the top of the musical garbage heap", and gave it an eight out of ten rating. Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth has said that he "really love" the album, describing it as "primal" and the songwriting as "completely melodious" but also "punk".