The One-Year Limit
Bleach is a heavy-duty cleaner that can disinfect and sanitize surfaces throughout your home, from toilet bowls to cutting boards. It can also be used in the laundry room to sanitize towels, brighten white clothing, and more. Overall, it’s one of the toughest cleaning products around.
Because it’s such a powerful cleaner, you might expect it to have a long shelf life. In reality, it begins losing potency about a year after it’s manufactured, when sodium hypochlorite, the active ingredient responsible for bleach’s disinfecting power, begins to break down. As a result, older bleach is less effective at killing germs and sanitizing surfaces than a brand-new bottle.
How To Check the Production Code
Most bleach bottles don’t come with an expiration date printed on the label, so you’ll have to do some digging. According to Clorox, you can use the production code, sometimes called a Julian date, to determine when the bottle was manufactured and then estimate when it may begin losing effectiveness. (Clorox has a detailed breakdown of how to read the code to find the date it was produced.) Because bleach’s shelf life is measured from its manufacturing date rather than when you open the bottle, checking the production code is the best way to determine how old the contents really are.
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If the production code has worn off, you can do a waft test (remember high school chemistry class?) to determine whether the bleach has retained its sharp odor. If it smells faint or slightly sweet, it’s probably past its prime. Another way to test its potency is by gently shaking a closed bottle for 3 seconds, then looking for a thin layer of small bubbles. If there’s no sudsing, the bleach has likely degraded into mostly salt water.
Storing Bleach Properly
Although bleach has a relatively short shelf life, proper storage can help it retain its effectiveness for as long as possible. Store unopened bottles in a cool, dry area, such as a cabinet or closet. Keep them away from direct sunlight and heat sources, as these can cause the active ingredients in bleach to break down more quickly.
If you discover an expired bottle of bleach, you can dilute it with water (about 10 parts water to 1 part bleach) and safely flush it down the toilet, assuming you’re connected to a municipal sewer system. If you’re on a well or need to get rid of several bottles, bring it to your local household hazardous waste facility.
