Bleaching of kaolin with a high content of iron oxides by means of three organic acids (citric, gluconic and oxalic) was studied. The first two release small quantities of iron oxides from the kaolin, which means they will not be adequate for large-scale processes. Oxalic acid is capable of dissolving all the leachable iron in kaolin, reaching a whiteness index of 80%, thus making the kaolin suitable for its basic industrial applications.