Bleach is a great disinfectant, but safety is important. You already know not to mix it with ammonia, vinegar, or alcohol, but did you know that the temperature of the water matters too? Here’s a guide to properly diluting bleach so you can use it as a disinfectant. Spoiler alert: many of you are doing it wrong.
Use DILUTED BLEACH SAFELY AS A MOUTHWASH! – Diluted Bleach Mouthwash Recipe
If you want to disinfect a surface with bleach, diluting the bleach with water is actually more effective than using it straight. Diluted bleach is also gentler on the materials it comes into contact with, and saves money and effort: a bottle of bleach can last a very long time if you only use a few tablespoons at a time.
When we wash things with soap, we usually use warm or hot water, because heat energy helps chemical molecules interact with each other more often. If you’ve ever washed dishes with cold water at a campsite, compared to the warm water in your sink at home, you already know this difference.
But when it comes to disinfecting with bleach, the higher temperature isn’t worth the downside. Using hot water isn’t dangerous like some of the other things people do with bleach (don’t put it on your skin, please), but it does have some definite downsides.
