# Bleach concentration for plant disinfection



## bautzen (Mar 1, 2009)

Hello everybody,

I know that people usually use a 10 % dilution of bleach for plant disinfection.
However, bleach solutions are not a 100 % to start with. In our lab for example we have bleach with 10 % active hypochlorite.
So what dilutions of which stock solution do you use for plant disinfections?
10 % dilution from a 10 % stock solution (1% active hypochlorite in total)?

Thanks a lot in advance!


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## CosmicFool (Jul 9, 2014)

I'd also like to know this,
I work with swimming pool chemicals and have seen it as high as 12.5% in liquid form


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## Tzunu'un (Apr 15, 2014)

Covered in an old thread:

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/plants/41856-10-bleach-solution.html

Not all plants can handle the 10% bleach as mentioned in this older thread.
Some people use lower concentrations and/or vary the time. Some plants cannot handle bleach at all. 


10% bleach refers to a 1:10 dilution of *household* bleach resulting in 0.525% to 0.6% by weight sodium hypochlorite.


Household bleach has generally been 5.25% to 6% by weight sodium hypochlorite.

This has changed recently (2013) and now some bleach is sold to household consumers at 8.25%.
National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education

To make the equivalent "10%" solution as before, you would need to dilute the newer 8.25% bleach by approximately 1:15 (1:13.7 - 1:15.7 based upon desired final working concentration of 0.525% - 0.6%)


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## Ctoliva (Apr 4, 2015)

I have found that some brands are stronger and thicker. For my aquatic plants I use the cheep off brand but most of the time just tape water works. the chlorine has fixed many unwanted algae blooms. Don't know if this even helps.


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