Does Bleach Expire?
More Articles Related to WaterDo you have a stockpile of survival food and supplies that includes an unopened bottle of bleach. Bleach is an excellent way to help make water safe to drink by its ability to destroy many of the pathogens that may be present. However, does bleach have an expiration date?
I too keep a gallon of bleach in my stock of survival gear. The answer to this question is very important to many who are making survival preparations. A little searching around produced this definitive answer from a Clorox bleach representative on the Cornell University website.
“We recommend storing our bleach at room temperatures. It can be stored for about 6 months at temperatures between 50 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. After this time, bleach will be begin to degrade at a rate of 20% each year until totally degraded to salt and water. Storing at temperatures much higher than 70 degrees Fahrenheit could cause the bleach to lose its effectiveness and degrade more rapidly. However, if you require 6% sodium hypochlorite, you should change your supply every 3 months.”
Fortuneately there is a better alternative to bleach for disinfecting water. Read the Survival Topics article on Calcium Hypochlorite for Disinfecting Water.Arizona
Just a thought. My buddy is in the army reserve as a medic and trained in biological weapon decontamination. When you see the men in the chemical suits being hosed off after exposure they are using a 10 percent bleach and water solution.
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A much better (lighter, compact) way to store chlorine is to use granules instead of liquid. Granules (pool supplies) last much longer, never "leak" and take up much less space.