Difference Between Bleach and Disinfectant

The key difference between bleach and disinfectant is that bleach can cause discolouration, whereas disinfectants may or may not cause discolouration.

Disinfectants are chemical compounds we can use in cleaning surfaces. Bleach is a type of disinfectant. These chemicals have different applications according to their chemical composition.

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Bleach
3. What is Disinfectant
4. Side by Side Comparison – Bleach vs Disinfectant in Tabular Form
5. Summary

What is Bleach?

Bleach is any chemical compound we use in industrial scale and domestic applications for the removal of stains and to clean surfaces. Usually, it is a dilute solution of sodium hypochlorite. This is also called “liquid bleach” in common use.

Most bleaching agents have a broad spectrum of bactericidal properties. That means; these compound can act against a number of bacterial species which are harmful to us. Therefore, bleaching agents are very useful in disinfecting and sterilizing surfaces. Also, we can use these compounds for the cleaning of water in swimming pools. These chemical species can also act against algae and viruses. In addition to the purpose of cleaning, there are some other applications of bleach, including removing mildew, killing weeds, increasing the longevity of cut flowers, bleaching wood pulp, etc.

Difference Between Bleach and Disinfectant

Figure 01: Bleach

Bleaching agents show a considerable effect against colouring agents. For example, bleach can cause discolouration of natural colour pigments, turning them into colourless compounds. Most bleaches are oxidizing agents. However, there are some reducing agents as well.

Some examples of bleaches include chlorine, calcium hypochlorite, sodium hypochlorite, chlorine dioxide, etc. Chlorine is a corrosive gas that is mainly used in disinfecting drinking water sources. Calcium hypochlorite is “bleaching powder” that is used in cleaning surfaces. Sodium hypochlorite is “liquid bleach”. Chlorine dioxide is also a gaseous bleach.

What is Disinfectant?

Disinfectants are chemicals that are used to remove or inactivate microorganisms in inert surfaces. However, they do not necessarily kill all microorganism. That means, even there can be some bacterial spores which are resistant to disinfectants. Therefore, using a disinfectant is less effective compared to sterilization.

Figure 02: Sanitizer is an Example of Disinfectants

We can easily distinguish disinfectants from antibiotics because antibiotics destroy microorganisms within the body. Disinfectants act by destroying the cell wall of bacteria. Sometimes, these chemicals can interfere with the metabolism of the microbes. A good example of a disinfectant is a sanitizer. Sanitizers simultaneously clean and disinfect surfaces.

What is the Difference Between Bleach and Disinfectant?

Bleach is any chemical compound we can use in industrial scale and domestic applications for the removal of stains and to clean surfaces. Meanwhile, disinfectants are chemicals that are used to remove or inactivate microorganisms in inert surfaces. However, bleach is a type of disinfectant. The key difference between bleach and disinfectant is that bleach can cause discolouration, whereas disinfectants may or may not cause discolouration. Moreover, bleach cleans and whitens surfaces while disinfectants clean and disinfect.

The following table summarizes the difference between bleach and disinfectant.

Summary – Bleach vs Disinfectant

Bleach is any chemical compound we can use in industrial scale and domestic applications for the removal of stains and clean surfaces. Disinfectants, on the other hand, are chemicals that are used to remove or inactivate microorganisms in inert surfaces. Bleach is a type of disinfectant. The key difference between bleach and disinfectant is that bleach can cause discolouration, whereas disinfectants may or may not cause discolouration.