Chlorine Bleach

• Chlorine bleach is the better known and more versatile form of bleach available. It is not pure chlorine, as the name implies, but instead the chlorine bleach used for laundry and housecleaning is sodium hypochlorite or calcium hypochlorite. Chlorine gas bubbles through a solution of sodium hydroxide (lye) or calcium hydroxide (quicklime), resulting in the chlorine bleach.
  
  

Oxygen Bleaches

• Oxygen bleaches include sodium carbonate peroxide, sodium peroxide and sodium perborate and use hydrogen peroxide as the active ingredient. Oxygen bleaches mix with water and release hydrogen peroxide. Oxygen bleaches are the color-safe bleaches used for treating stains and brightening all colors of clothing but are not recommended for other cleaning and disinfecting.
  
  

Disinfecting

• When chlorine bleach comes in contact with bacteria, it attacks protein molecules which are vital to the germ's life. The protein molecules unfold and clump together similar to the way protein molecules clump together and solidify in an egg when it's cooked. Chlorine bleach is so effective in killing germs that the you should use it in a combination of 1 tsp. of bleach to 1 gallon of water solution for disinfecting your home after a natural disaster such as a flood.
  
  

Caution

• Chlorine bleach is a strong alkaline with a very high pH level around 12, making it caustic, which is why it cleans so well. However, undiluted chlorine bleach can also cause chemical burns if left on your skin. When working with chlorine bleach, work in a well-ventilated area and wear gloves and goggles to prevent injury. Also, chlorine bleach reacts with ammonia and with acids like vinegar, releasing toxic vapors.