Chlorine vs. Bleach — What's the Difference?

A common disinfectant for water.

A cleaning product containing chlorine or other chemicals.

A greenish-yellow halogen gas.

A liquid that can remove color from materials.

A chemical element with symbol Cl.

An agent that kills germs and bacteria.

A substance that can react with organic material.

A corrosive substance that needs careful handling.

A component in various industrial processes.

Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially and domestically to remove color from a fabric or fiber or to clean or to remove stains in a process called bleaching. It often refers, specifically, to a dilute solution of sodium hypochlorite, also called "liquid bleach".

Chlorine is a chemical element with the symbol Cl and atomic number 17. The second-lightest of the halogens, it appears between fluorine and bromine in the periodic table and its properties are mostly intermediate between them.

To remove the color from, as by means of chemical agents or sunlight

A highly irritating, greenish-yellow halogen element, existing as a diatomic gas, Cl2, and capable of combining with nearly all other elements, produced principally by electrolysis of sodium chloride and used widely to disinfect water, as a bleaching agent, and in the manufacture of many important compounds including chlorates, sodium hypochlorite, and chloroform. Atomic number 17; atomic weight 35.453; freezing point -100.5°C; boiling point -34.04°C; specific gravity 1.56 (-33.6°C); valence 1, 3, 5, 7. See Periodic Table.

To make white or colorless

A toxic, green, gaseous chemical element (symbol Cl) with an atomic number of 17.

To whiten by causing the death or expulsion of algal symbionts from (coral).

(countable) A single atom of this element.

To act as or use a bleach.

One of the elementary substances, commonly isolated as a greenish yellow gas, two and one half times as heavy as air, of an intensely disagreeable suffocating odor, and exceedingly poisonous. It is abundant in nature, the most important compound being common salt (Sodium chloride). It is powerful oxidizing, bleaching, and disinfecting agent. Symbol Cl. Atomic weight, 35.4.

To become white as a result of the loss of algal symbionts, usually following an environmental stress such as increased water temperature. Used of coral.

A common nonmetallic element belonging to the halogens; best known as a heavy yellow irritating toxic gas; used to purify water and as a bleaching agent and disinfectant; occurs naturally only as a salt (as in sea water)

A chemical agent used for bleaching.

The act of bleaching.

The degree of bleaching obtained.

(archaic) Pale; bleak.

(transitive) To treat with bleach, especially so as to whiten (fabric, paper, etc.) or lighten (hair).

(intransitive) To be whitened or lightened (by the sun, for example).

To lose color due to stress-induced expulsion of symbiotic unicellular algae.

To make meaningless; to divest of meaning; to make empty.

(uncountable) A chemical, such as sodium hypochlorite or hydrogen peroxide, or a preparation of such a chemical, used for disinfecting or whitening.

(countable) A variety of bleach.

An act of bleaching; exposure to the sun.

A disease of the skin.

To make white, or whiter; to remove the color, or stains, from; to blanch; to whiten.

To grow white or lose color; to whiten.

The whiteness that results from removing the color from something;

An agent that makes things white or colorless

The act of whitening something by bleaching it (exposing it to sunlight or using a chemical bleaching agent)

Remove color from;

Make whiter or lighter;

A substance used to whiten or disinfect.

Chlorine is a greenish-yellow halogen gas used for various purposes, including disinfection.

Bleach is predominantly used for whitening, disinfecting, and cleaning.

Chlorine kills pathogens by breaking down the cell walls and neutralizing them.

No, mixing bleach with other products can produce toxic fumes, especially with ammonia.

Chlorine is reactive and can be harmful if inhaled or if it comes in direct contact.

Drinking water with a small, safe amount of bleach can be consumed in emergencies, but it's essential to use the correct proportions.

Bleach is a product containing chlorine or other chemicals used mainly for whitening and disinfection.

Yes, Chlorine can be found naturally in minerals and saltwater.

Yes, but pool-specific chlorine products are typically recommended over household bleach.

Bleach should be stored in a cool, dry place, away from children and pets.

Various products, including disinfectants, cleaning agents, and PVC, contain chlorine.

Yes, many cleaning and disinfecting products contain chlorine or chlorine compounds.

Chlorine is typically produced through the electrolysis of saltwater.

Over time, bleach breaks down into salt and water, but its impact on the environment should still be considered.

Avoid inhaling chlorine fumes, protect skin from direct contact, and ensure good ventilation when using products containing chlorine.