There are different types of bleach, but the active ingredient in household bleach is sodium hypochlorite (NaClO, Chemistry Review Vol. 29, No. 2, pp. 10–13). It is used as a disinfectant due to its effectiveness and wide range of actions against bacteria, viruses, fungi and algae. It works by denaturing proteins, causing them to clump together and become useless.
Sodium hypochlorite is a strong oxidising agent – it can gain electrons from other molecules. When these electrons come from double bonds, this can lead to the bleaching (colour lightening) effect, often seen when household bleach comes into contact with coloured fabrics. Chromophores – the parts of molecules with delocalised electrons that absorb visible light and give rise to colour (Chemistry Review Vol. 34, No. 2, pp. 6–9) – are disrupted when their double bonds are broken. The bleaching property of sodium hypochlorite leads to its use as a stain remover.
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