How Sanitizing Works

Now more than ever is the time to think about sanitizing properly. But how much do you know about the fundamentals of how sanitizing works?

How Bleach Kills Germs

Although bleach has been around for a long time, its mechanism for killing germs has been surprisingly elusive. It’s hard to imagine it has been in use since the late 18th century with a limited understanding of how it works.

In 2008, scientists Winter and Jakob were studying a protein called “heat shock protein 33” which activates itself under stress and moves to protect other proteins from things like high heat or, it turns out, bleach. Seeing these proteins leap into action when exposed to bleach indicated the core mechanism through which a common active ingredient for bleach (sodium hypochlorite) attacks cells – protein breakdown.