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HOCl.love

How to make inexpensive disinfectant and use it safely

What is HOCl?

Your body's own disinfectant

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is the disinfectant your own white blood cells make to fight infection. You can make it at home, cheaply, to keep surfaces clean.

Make it from tablets, with a generator, or with a small USB kit: see three ways to make it. Home-made solution is for cleaning surfaces. For eyes, skin and wounds, people use commercial products made for them; Uses shows what the studies found.

The chemistry, for the curious

The tablets are NaDCC (sodium dichloroisocyanurate). Dissolved, they give a solution at about pH 6 to 7, where 80 to 90 percent of the free chlorine is HOCl, the faster-acting form. Household bleach in water sits at pH 11 to 12, so most of its chlorine is the slower hypochlorite. Against C. difficile spores, the tablet label needs 4306 ppm for 4 minutes, where a bleach product needs 9000 ppm for 5 minutes. In clean laboratory tests, tablet solution and bleach at the same strength kill about equally; under blood or other body fluids, tablet solution keeps working at roughly a quarter of the strength bleach needs.

Tablet solution also carries cyanurate, whose safety reviews cover drinking water only, and none of the studies of HOCl on eyes, mouths, skin or wounds used NaDCC.

Hypochlorous acid, from Scientific American
Video on YouTube

Scientific American also has an article on whether HOCl works and a podcast on HOCl as a natural disinfectant.

For mutual aid

HOCl is one of the cheapest hygiene tools a community group can hand out. A US$30 box of 100 small tablets makes about 100 litres of sanitizer for food-contact surfaces: enough for a community kitchen, a shared fridge or a disaster kit. The calculator works out tablets and cost for each job.

Uses and strengths

What for, how strong, and what not to do

Strength is measured in ppm, parts per million: 1 ppm is 1 milligram of chlorine in a litre of water. Strengths for surfaces come from the tablet label, and strengths for drinking water from the safe limits for drinking water. Each card links to its sources.

Make with tablets

Commercial products only

Emergencies only

  • Hand washing in outbreaksNo home recipeEbola responses, until soap and water or alcohol rub arrive.
    Home recipe
    No home recipe. The tablet label has no use on skin. Chlorine hand washing is an emergency measure, used until soap and water or alcohol rub are available, and not for people with skin conditions such as contact dermatitis.
    Used in outbreaks
    0.05% (500 ppm) chlorine in Ebola responses
    Contact time
    40 to 60 seconds, until hands are dry
    Evidence
    Ebola responses have used 0.05% (500 ppm) chlorine for hand washing. In a trial on hands carrying test organisms, one wash with 500 ppm NaDCC removed or killed them about as well as soap or hand sanitizer. In a 4-week trial of hand washing ten times a day, every method raised skin irritation scores, NaDCC and generated hypochlorite the most, and 4 of 91 people developed dermatitis; the authors judged all the changes minor. Ebola guidance moves people to soap and water or alcohol rub as soon as they arrive, and allows chlorine until then on very low-certainty evidence. A systematic review found very limited, very low-quality evidence on how chlorine compares.

Don't

The sources advise against these.

Three ways to make it

Tablets, a generator, or a USB kit

Tablets are the simplest way, and the only one here with a label to follow. Generators make HOCl from salt water by electrolysis.

Whichever you choose, home-made solution is for cleaning surfaces. Open an option for what to buy and the steps. The safety rules for generators follow the options.

Option 1

NaDCC tablets

The simplest way. Drop a tablet in water, let it dissolve, and it is ready.PurTabs 334 mg, US$30 for 100 (27 September 2026)
White NaDCC tablets

Médecins Sans Frontières uses NaDCC tablets as its standard chlorine disinfectant. Dry, they keep 3 to 5 years. Made up, the solution does not: make it fresh.

Which tablets

We use PurTabs because their label covers hard surfaces, food-contact sanitizing and emergency drinking water, with a dilution chart for a 32 oz bottle, about 0.95 litres. Other NaDCC tablets work too: Tablets compared lists them.

How to make it

  1. Put on gloves and eye protection: the tablets are corrosive (see Safety).
  2. Fill a clean bottle with cool water, not hot.
  3. Drop in the tablets and let them dissolve fully. Use clean, dry utensils.
  4. Label the bottle with the strength and the date.
  5. Clean the surface first, then wipe the solution on with a cloth. Dirt uses up chlorine (2024 disinfectant study).
  6. A fresh batch each day is best. It keeps up to 3 days in a closed container out of sunlight, at room temperature; test it with a strip if you keep it longer.
Quick reference Tablets per 32 oz bottle (about 0.95 L), from the label's chart
JobTabletsStrengthLeave it
Food-contact surfaces, no rinse1 × PurTabs 334 mg100 ppm1 minute, then drain and air dry
Disinfecting surfaces1 × PurTabs 3.3 g1076 ppm10 minutes on the label; at least 1 minute in health-care guidance
Vomit, diarrhoea and spills2 × PurTabs 3.3 g2153 ppm1 minute at 2153 ppm (label). CDC: at least 5 minutes.
C. difficile spores2 × PurTabs 3.3 g2153 ppm10 minutes at 2153 ppm, or 4 minutes at 4306 ppm
Option 2

HOCl generator

A machine that electrolyses water, salt and vinegar. Follow its instructions, then test the batch.Home versions about US$65 to US$220 (27 September 2026)
Three steps: fill with water and add salt, add vinegar and stir, choose a setting

You can also make HOCl by electrolysing water, salt and vinegar. The simplest way to do that is an HOCl generator: follow its instructions for the strength you want. Home versions come in several sizes. On 27 September 2026, home generators sold online cost about US$65 to US$220.

Read the safety rules for generators, under the options, first. Test every batch with chlorine and pH strips. Electrolysis makes salt water alkaline: in a 2024 study of home electrolysis, salt water set to pH 5 with vinegar came out at about pH 8.3, where most of the chlorine is the slower hypochlorite, and the authors added vinegar afterwards to bring it to about pH 6. They note that some generator makers only say to add vinegar before. If your strip reads above pH 7, the solution is weaker, since more of its chlorine is the slower hypochlorite, but it still works on surfaces: use it as it is, and add no more vinegar.

Generator solution is for cleaning surfaces, like tablet solution. The strengths in Uses come from the tablet label, which does not cover it. In that 2024 study, home-made solution at about 250 ppm and pH 6 cut bacteria on surfaces about as well as diluted bleach or 70% alcohol; the authors advise making it stronger than that, because home production has little quality control.

Where to buy generators

Not a full list. Prices are the sellers’ on 27 September 2026.

Option 3

Portable USB generator

The experimental way. Build a small generator from parts.Parts about US$67 (27 September 2026)
The parts for the portable generator

For a more experimental approach, build a portable generator from parts. The parts cost about US$67 in all, at prices seen online on 27 September 2026, with the old page’s estimates for the vinegar, jar and spoon.

What you need

Steps

These steps are for information only, and you follow them at your own risk. If you are not comfortable with basic chemistry, buy a ready-made generator (Option 2). Read the safety rules for generators, under the options, first.

  1. Fill the mason jar with tap water.
  2. Add 1 tsp of salt.
  3. Add 1/2 tsp of vinegar. No more: too much acid releases chlorine gas.
  4. Stir until the salt has fully dissolved.
  5. Plug the generator into the USB wall charger, and the charger into a power outlet. Work in a ventilated space, away from flames.
  6. Put the green tip of the generator in the jar. Small bubbles should come off it.
  7. Let it run for 15 minutes with a 2 A charger, or 30 minutes with a 1 A charger. The charger’s fine print gives its output.
  8. Test with the chlorine strips. The reading should be about 100 to 200 ppm. Run it longer for a stronger solution.
  9. Test with the pH strips. The reading should be around 6.
  10. Label the jar with the strength and the date. Use it on surfaces: see Uses.
About the PWPAM generator

Followed as its own instructions say, the PWPAM generator makes sodium hypochlorite, or chlorine bleach, which is closely related to HOCl. The small amount of vinegar in the steps lowers the pH, so more of the chlorine is HOCl, the faster-acting form. Use no more vinegar than the steps give: below pH 4 the solution releases chlorine gas, which can seriously irritate the airways (2024 home electrolysis study).

For more about the generator, see its original manual (PDF, 5 MB).

Caution

Safety for generators (options 2 and 3)

  • Electrolysis gives off hydrogen, which burns. Run a generator in a ventilated space, away from flames.
  • Vinegar goes into the salt water only, in the amount the steps give. Never add acid to tablet solution or bleach. Below pH 4, chlorine solution releases chlorine gas (a 2024 home electrolysis study and a CDC report on mixing bleach).
  • Test every batch with chlorine and pH strips. The pH should stay above 4, and the chlorine should match the strength you need.
  • Generator solution is for surfaces too: not for drinking, eyes, mouth, skin or wounds.
  • Use a glass or plastic container, never metal (2024 home electrolysis study). Label it with the strength and the date, and keep it away from children.

Or buy it ready-made

Ready-made HOCl products

To try HOCl without making it, these sellers offer it bottled. Not a full list, and no listing is sponsored. Strengths and uses are as each maker states them.

Check the strength

Use free-chlorine test strips that read up to 1000 ppm, or high-range strips for 2000 ppm and above. Pool strips that stop at 10 ppm cannot read surface-strength solution. Strips are rough guides: one comparison of test methods found errors of 5% to 48%. With NaDCC they read somewhat high, because cyanurate binds some of the chlorine (a 2019 chemistry model and a 2018 chemistry review). For generator solution, test the pH too: a 2024 study of home electrolysis set it to about 6.

Ideas for distribution

How mutual aid groups hand out HOCl:

  • Street outreach: tablets with printed instructions, gloves and a labelled bottle.
  • Encampments: tablets plus printed instructions for mixing on site.
  • Disaster response: stockpile tablets, drinking-water tablets included.
  • Community fridges: wipe down with 100 ppm solution, no rinse (US food-contact rule).

Calculator

How many tablets for your water

Pick the job, the tablet and how much water. The answer shows at the top.

How many tablets?

1 tablet0.96 PurTabs 334 mg tablets in 1 L of water make 100 ppm. Rounded to 1 tablet, the strength is about 104 ppm. Cost about US$0.29.

Leave 1 minute, then drain and air dry. US rules cap no-rinse NaDCC solution on food-contact surfaces at 100 ppm.

Set by the job. Change it if you need to.

Cost: about US$0.29

The seller's price on 27 September 2026. Enter what you paid.

How much solution?

1.04 litres1 PurTabs 334 mg tablet makes 1.04 L (0.27 US gallons) at 100 ppm. That fills 1 one-litre bottle. Cost about US$0.30, or US$0.29 a litre.

Leave 1 minute, then drain and air dry. US rules cap no-rinse NaDCC solution on food-contact surfaces at 100 ppm.

Cost: about US$0.30

The seller's price on 27 September 2026. Enter what you paid.

It offers the three tablet sizes whose chlorine is on their label (31.10 percent), and drinking-water tablets sized by their dosing chart. Uses on the body are not presets: their studies used commercial products. The 334 mg and 3.3 g prices are Zogics’ on 27 September 2026; the others are rough figures from an earlier version of this page. Enter what you paid.

Safety

Eight rules to read before you start

Read these before you make your first batch. The tablets are corrosive until they dissolve, and the solution reacts with other cleaners.

Before you start

  • Make it freshBest made each day. It keeps up to 3 days in a closed, dark bottle; test it with a strip if you keep it longer. Label the bottle with strength and date.
  • Never mix itNot with acids, vinegar, ammonia, urine or other cleaners. The mix gives off chlorine gas or chloramines.
  • Home-made is for surfacesNot for eyes, mouth, skin or wounds. For drinking water, use drinking-water tablets at the packet dose.

All eight rules

  • Wear gloves and eye protectionWear them when you dissolve tablets. The tablets are corrosive, can cause irreversible eye damage, and are harmful if swallowed, breathed in or absorbed through skin.
  • Use cool, clean water. Make it freshDissolve tablets fully in cool, clean water before use. Make solution fresh: a new batch each day is best. Surface solution keeps up to 3 days in a closed, dark bottle at room temperature; if you keep it longer, test it with a strip first. Then label every bottle with its strength and the date.
  • Never mix it with anythingNever mix tablets or solution with acids, vinegar, ammonia, urine or any other cleaner: the mix releases chlorine gas or chloramines. Never mix the tablets with other chlorine products, such as calcium hypochlorite: that can cause fire or explosion.
  • Wipe it on. Never mist itNever spray or fog solution onto people or into the air you breathe. The tablet label says not to breathe spray mist, and chlorine fog indoors harms workers' airways. Wipe it on with a cloth; if you use a spray bottle, spray the cloth. Fogging a room takes a product whose label gives fogging directions and a fogger made for it, with nobody else in the room.
  • Do not drink cleaning solutionDo not drink cleaning-strength solution. Only water treated with drinking-water tablets, at the dose on the packet, is for drinking.
  • Keep it away from childrenKeep tablets and solution away from children. In the US, Poison Control is 1-800-222-1222.
  • Splashed in an eye? RinseIf solution or tablet dust gets in an eye, rinse it with water for 15 to 20 minutes and call Poison Control.
  • Store tablets cool and dryStore tablets cool and dry, below 40 °C, sealed from moisture.

Tablets compared

Sizes, what each one makes, and prices

Match the tablet to the job: small ones sized per litre for drinking water, bigger ones for surfaces.

  • PurTabs: for hard surfaces, food contact and emergency drinking water. The 334 mg tablet suits food-contact strength; the 3.3 g tablet suits disinfecting.
  • Aquatabs and UNICEF tablets: drinking-water tablets, each sized for a volume of water, as the Aquatabs dosing chart shows.
  • Other tablets: figures from an earlier version of this page, without a label to confirm their chlorine, so the calculator leaves them out.

For surfaces Chlorine from the label, 31.10% of tablet weight

TabletAvailable chlorineOne makes, at 100 ppmOne makes, at 1076 ppmPrice per tabletA litre at 1076 ppm costs
PurTabs 334 mg103.9 mg1.04 LToo weakUS$0.30Too weak
PurTabs 3.3 g1026 mg10.3 L954 mlUS$0.25US$0.26
PurTabs 13.1 g4074 mg40.7 L3.79 LUS$1.33US$0.35

"Too weak": the label's chart stops the 334 mg tablet at 538 ppm. PurTabs 334 mg: the seller's price on 27 September 2026. PurTabs 3.3 g: the seller's price on 27 September 2026. Other prices: rough figures from an earlier version of this page.

For drinking water Litres per tablet from the Aquatabs dosing chart, written for 5 ppm

Tablet (NaDCC)One treatsPrice per tabletCost per litre treated
UNICEF or Aquatabs 8.5 mg1 LUS$0.08US$0.08
UNICEF or Aquatabs 33 mg5 LUS$0.20US$0.04
UNICEF or Aquatabs 67 mg10 LUS$0.28US$0.03
UNICEF 167 mg20 LUS$0.01 to 0.02US$0.001
Generic 1.67 g200 LUS$0.03 to 0.05US$0.0002
UNICEF 8.68 g1000 LUS$0.25 to 0.35US$0.0003

Prices: rough figures from an earlier version of this page.

Other tablets Figures from an earlier version of this page. Read the tablet's label for its chlorine before you use it

TabletWeightAvailable chlorine, as given earlierPrice per tablet
Ef-Chlor 2.5 g2.5 g1500 mgUS$0.05 to 0.08
EZ-Bleach 5 g5 g1450 mgUS$0.40 to 0.45
Generic bulk 4 g4 g2400 mgUS$0.13

Prices: rough figures from an earlier version of this page.

Where to buy NaDCC tablets

Not a full list, and no listing is sponsored. Tablet sizes and NaDCC content are as each maker lists them.

Sources

Full referencesAll 73 studies, labels and guidelines: authors, titles, dates and links
  1. WHO. Guidelines for drinking-water quality: chemical fact sheet, sodium dichloroisocyanurate. 2022.
  2. JECFA. Sodium dichloroisocyanurate. WHO Food Additives Series 52, 2004.
  3. WHO. Household water treatment and safe storage following emergencies and disasters.
  4. WHO International Scheme to Evaluate Household Water Treatment Technologies. Product report: Aquatabs (round 1).
  5. Jain S, et al. Sodium dichloroisocyanurate tablets for routine treatment of household drinking water in periurban Ghana: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2010;82(1):16-22.
  6. Boisson S, et al. Effect of household-based drinking water chlorination on diarrhoea among children under five in Orissa, India. PLoS Med. 2013;10(8):e1001497.
  7. Clasen T, et al. Household water treatment using NaDCC tablets: a randomized, controlled trial to assess microbiological effectiveness in Bangladesh. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2007;76(1):187-92.
  8. Lantagne DS, et al. Disinfection by-product formation and mitigation strategies in point-of-use chlorination with NaDCC in Tanzania. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2010;83(1):135-43.
  9. 40 CFR 180.940. Tolerance exemptions for food-contact surface sanitizing solutions.
  10. EarthSafe Chemical Alternatives and EvaClean. PURTABS effervescent sanitizing and disinfection tablets, EPA Reg. No. 71847-6-91524, master label.
  11. WHO. Cleaning and disinfection of environmental surfaces in the context of COVID-19. Interim guidance, 15 May 2020.
  12. CDC. How to prevent norovirus. Last reviewed 13 January 2025.
  13. CDC. Chemical disinfectants: guideline for disinfection and sterilization in healthcare facilities. Last reviewed 28 November 2023.
  14. Wolfe MK, et al. Seeking clearer recommendations for hand hygiene in communities facing Ebola: a randomized trial of six handwashing methods on skin irritation and dermatitis. PLoS One. 2016;11(12):e0167378.
  15. Wells E, et al. Accuracy, precision, ease-of-use, and cost of methods to test Ebola-relevant chlorine solutions. PLoS One. 2016;11(5):e0152442.
  16. Mencucci R, et al. Hypochlorous acid hygiene solution in patients affected by blepharitis: a prospective randomised study. BMJ Open Ophthalmol. 2023;8(1):e001209.
  17. Zhang H, et al. Effect of hypochlorous acid on blepharitis through ultrasonic atomization: a randomized clinical trial. J Clin Med. 2023;12(3):1164.
  18. Stroman DW, et al. Reduction in bacterial load using hypochlorous acid hygiene solution on ocular skin. Clin Ophthalmol. 2017;11:707-714.
  19. Bertone C, et al. The role of hypochlorous acid in the management of eye infections: a case series. Drugs Context. 2022;11:2022-3-10.
  20. Lin YC, et al. Effects of hypochlorous acid mouthwash on salivary bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus in patients with periodontal disease: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Oral Health. 2023;23:698.
  21. Lafaurie GI, et al. Evaluation of substantivity of hypochlorous acid as an antiplaque agent: a randomized controlled trial. Int J Dent Hyg. 2018;16(4):527-534.
  22. Tazawa K, et al. Hypochlorous acid inactivates oral pathogens and a SARS-CoV-2-surrogate. BMC Oral Health. 2023;23:111.
  23. Del Rosso JQ, Bhatia N. Status report on topical hypochlorous acid. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2018;11(11):36-39.
  24. Bakaa L, et al. Bleach baths for atopic dermatitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2022;128(6):660-668.
  25. Chopra R, et al. Efficacy of bleach baths in reducing severity of atopic dermatitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2017;119(5):435-440.
  26. AAAAI/ACAAI JTF Atopic Dermatitis Guideline Panel. Atopic dermatitis (eczema) guidelines: 2023. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2024;132(3):274-312.
  27. Burian EA, et al. Effect of stabilized hypochlorous acid on re-epithelialization and bacterial bioburden in acute wounds: a randomized controlled trial in healthy volunteers. Acta Derm Venereol. 2022;102:adv00727.
  28. Robson MC, et al. Hypochlorous acid as a potential wound care agent: Part II. J Burns Wounds. 2007;6:e6; and Wang L, et al. Part I. J Burns Wounds. 2007;6:e5., Part I, full text
  29. Sakarya S, et al. Hypochlorous acid: an ideal wound care agent with powerful microbicidal, antibiofilm, and wound healing potency. Wounds. 2014;26(12):342-50.
  30. Armstrong DG, et al. Expert recommendations for the use of hypochlorous solution: science and clinical application. Ostomy Wound Manage. 2015;61(5):S2-S19.
  31. WHO. The selection and use of essential medicines 2021: executive summary of the 23rd Expert Committee.
  32. WHO. 25th Expert Committee on Selection and Use of Essential Medicines: expert review 2 of application A.16, hypochlorous acid. 2025.
  33. Heling I, et al. Bactericidal and cytotoxic effects of sodium hypochlorite and sodium dichloroisocyanurate solutions in vitro. J Endod. 2001;27(4):278-80.
  34. Gül M, et al. Determination of the susceptibility of onychomycosis agents isolated in Sakarya to octenidine dihydrochloride and hypochlorous acid. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2026;45(8):2345-2354.
  35. Odorcic S, et al. Fungal infections after Boston type 1 keratoprosthesis implantation: literature review and in vitro antifungal activity of hypochlorous acid. Cornea. 2015;34(12):1599-605.
  36. 21 CFR 173.315. Chemicals used in washing or to assist in the peeling of fruits and vegetables.
  37. Wahman DG, Alexander MT. A drinking water relevant water chemistry model for the free chlorine and cyanuric acid system from 5 to 35 °C. Environ Eng Sci. 2019;36(3):283-294.
  38. Wahman DG. Chlorinated cyanurates: review of water chemistry and associated drinking water implications. J Am Water Works Assoc. 2018;110(9):E1-E15.
  39. EarthSafe Chemical Alternatives. PURTABS technical and efficacy data sheet, June 2018.
  40. EarthSafe Chemical Alternatives. PURTABS (dilution 0.5 ppm to 5550 ppm) safety data sheet, Rev. 1, 28 March 2019.
  41. Iqbal Q, et al. Shelf-life of chlorine solutions recommended in Ebola virus disease response. PLoS One. 2016;11(5):e0156136.
  42. Naranjo-Soledad A, et al. Low-cost, local production of a safe and effective disinfectant for resource-constrained communities. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2024;4(6):e0002213. Salt water electrolysed with carbon rods, pH set with vinegar.
  43. CDC. Chlorine gas toxicity from mixture of bleach with other cleaning products, California. MMWR. 1991;40(18).
  44. CDC. Cleaning and disinfecting with bleach. 24 April 2024.
  45. Brown L, et al. Assessing the stability and sporicidal efficacy of oxidizing disinfectants. J Hosp Infect. 2024;149:22-25.
  46. Clasen T, Edmondson P. Sodium dichloroisocyanurate (NaDCC) tablets as an alternative to sodium hypochlorite for the routine treatment of drinking water at the household level. Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2006;209(2):173-81.
  47. EarthSafe Chemical Alternatives. PURTABS technical and efficacy data sheet, July 2018. A maker's summary of the EPA registration. The seller's copy the brief used was gone by 27 September 2026; this is the Internet Archive's copy of it from August 2022.
  48. Medentech. Aquatabs tablets: dosing chart.
  49. Segal M, Metanes I, O'Boyle CP, Sadeh O, Hassan S, Bryzgalin L, Lavi I, Franco E, Har-Shai Y. Safety of troclosene sodium solution in decontamination of wounds: a prospective clinical and laboratory study. Wound Repair Regen. 2023;31(5):635-640.
  50. NCT03049670. The use of Klorsept solution for debriding infected wounds: is it effective and safe? Prospective observational study, Carmel Medical Center.
  51. Concept for Pharmacy. K-Sept 1000 product page: one effervescent tablet per litre of tap water, 1000 ppm, for wound and skin use under clinical supervision.
  52. Wolfe MK, Gallandat K, Daniels K, Desmarais AM, Scheinman P, Lantagne D. Handwashing and Ebola virus disease outbreaks: a randomized comparison of soap, hand sanitizer, and 0.05% chlorine solutions on the inactivation and removal of model organisms from hands. PLoS One. 2017;12(2):e0172734.
  53. MSF Essential Drugs. Sodium dichloroisocyanurate = NaDCC, drug sheet (undated copy): 0.1% solution for wound antisepsis where the formulation is made for it; warns that floor formulations with detergents or colouring cannot be used on wounds.
  54. MSF Medical Guidelines. Essential drugs: antiseptics and disinfectants. NaDCC 1.67 g tablets at 0.1% as the standard disinfectant; antiseptics not used on clean, non-infected wounds, which get sterile saline instead.
  55. Coates D. A comparison of sodium hypochlorite and sodium dichloroisocyanurate products. J Hosp Infect. 1985;6(1):31-40.
  56. Coates D. Comparison of sodium hypochlorite and sodium dichloroisocyanurate disinfectants: neutralization by serum. J Hosp Infect. 1988;11(1):60-7.
  57. WHO Electronic Essential Medicines List. Hypochlorous acid: added in 2025 (TRS 1064) as a surface disinfectant, solution of at least 150 ppm; application for antiseptic use rejected the same year for inconclusive evidence of benefit, not for harm or cost., antiseptics record
  58. Clasen TF, et al. Interventions to improve water quality for preventing diarrhoea. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;(10):CD004794.
  59. Rashid MU, et al. Chlorination of household drinking water among cholera patients' households to prevent transmission of toxigenic Vibrio cholerae in Dhaka, Bangladesh: CHoBI7 trial. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2016;95(6):1299-1304.
  60. George CM, et al. Randomized controlled trial of hospital-based hygiene and water treatment intervention (CHoBI7) to reduce cholera. Emerg Infect Dis. 2016;22(2):233-41.
  61. WHO. Infection prevention and control guideline for Ebola and Marburg diseases. 2023. Strong recommendation to change to alcohol rub or soap and water; chlorine solution for hands "may be used in the interim period in emergency situations", a conditional recommendation on very low-certainty evidence; 0.05% for 40 to 60 seconds; not for people with skin conditions. Carries forward the 2014 rapid advice guideline (WHO/HIS/SDS/2014.15)., 2015 WHO webinar slides on the 2014 guideline, PDF
  62. Hopman J, Kubilay Z, Allen T, Edrees H, Pittet D, Allegranzi B. Efficacy of chlorine solutions used for hand hygiene and gloves disinfection in Ebola settings: a systematic review. Antimicrob Resist Infect Control. 2015;4(Suppl 1):O13. Conference abstract.
  63. Urushidani M, et al. Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A virus by dry fogging hypochlorous acid solution and hydrogen peroxide solution. PLoS One. 2022;17(4):e0261802. Part-funded by the fogger's maker.
  64. Feng KC, et al. Efficacy of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) fog in sanitizing surfaces against Enterococcus faecalis. Am J Infect Control. 2022;50(12):1311-1315.
  65. Seo D, Lee YH, Jo J. Humidifier disinfectant, sodium dichloroisocyanurate (NaDCC): assessment of respiratory effects to protect workers' health. Sci Rep. 2021;11:15681. Rats breathing NaDCC mist for 2 weeks.
  66. Burd JF. Ten day exposure to hypochlorous acid (Wonder Spray) fog results in no detectable effect on blood metabolic panel and minimal lung pathology. J Pulm Med. 2020;4(5):1000113. The author works for the product's maker; not indexed in PubMed.
  67. Oikawa T, et al. Effective and safe: long-term aerosol disinfection of slightly acidic electrolyzed water causes no harm in rats. PLoS One. 2026;21(1):e0341050. Funded by the water's maker.
  68. Lewandowski RB, et al. The HOCl dry fog: is it safe for human cells? PLoS One. 2024;19(5):e0304602.
  69. US EPA. Can I use fogging, fumigation, or electrostatic spraying or drones to help control COVID-19? Last updated 5 August 2026.
  70. CDC. Safety precautions when using electrostatic sprayers, foggers, misters, or vaporizers for surface disinfection during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last updated 27 February 2023; archived.
  71. Takahashi M, Shimooki O. Symptom-based assessment during prolonged low-concentration atomization of hypochlorous acid in occupied hospital rooms: a controlled pilot study. J Infect Prev. 2026 (online 25 September).
  72. Okusanya BO, et al. Systematic review of surface disinfection: spraying versus wiping for COVID-19 prevention. J Public Health Afr. 2025;16(2):597.
  73. Medentech Ltd. KLORSEPT effervescent tablets, EPA Reg. No. 71847-6, master label v.16, accepted 13 August 2020. 48.21% sodium dichloroisocyanurate, 31.10% available chlorine; PurTabs is the same registration.
Additional linksFurther reading, not used as evidence on this page

Note

This page is for education and planning. Check product details with the maker, follow the label, and ask a health worker before any medical use.