How Long Does Bleach Last? Here’s the Average Lifespan

Think fast! How many bottles of bleach do you have waiting in your storage area to tackle chores like sanitizing towels and cleaning the refrigerator? Each bleach bottle has a lifespan you can’t ignore if you want maximum results. Stop wondering, “How long does bleach last?” and determine whether it’s time to toss your expired bleach.

How Long Does Bleach Last?

If you store bleach correctly, it can last for one year. But bleach starts to break down after about six months after the manufacture date, even if stored in the best conditions. But don’t worry; it’s still useful for disinfecting until the one-year mark. 

Bleach is 20% less effective after each year goes by, so you can’t depend on expired bleach to sanitize surfaces or clean clothes correctly. The bleach’s strength varies significantly according to storage conditions and the manufacture date, so it’s best to use it as recommended.

How to Determine Whether Your Bleach Expired

If your bleach is less than a year old, but you’re unsure whether it expired, follow these guidelines to find your answer and avoid bleach stains.

Smell It

Bleach has a distinct odor that you likely recognize as soon as you open the bottle. If you don’t immediately smell its distinct odor after opening the cap, it's a telltale sign your bleach is closer to a saltwater mix, and you can’t use it for disinfecting and cleaning. 

Read the Manufacturer’s Code

Another way to determine whether your bleach expired is to play detective and unscramble the manufacturer’s code on the bottle. It’s a line of numbers that signifies where it was produced and the bottled date. 

Each bleach bottle is stamped with a production code that includes the date when the bottle was made, referred to as “Julain dates.” The manufacturer’s plant is the first two digits, the year it was made are the third and fourth digits, and the day of the year are the fifth and sixth digits.

For example, a bottle stamped A822 13019: 48CA3 was made in 2022 on the 130th day of the year, or May 10th. You can use this information to determine how long it’s been since the bleach was made.

Why Bleach Works So Well

Bleach has been a household cleaning product staple and a go-to water-purifying remedy for decades, but you might not know it’s a mixture of several components. Once they’ve fully broken down, they leave behind a non-toxic salt water solution. 

• Sodium hypochlorite: disinfects and removes stains

• Sodium chloride (salt): thickens and stabilizes the solution  

• Sodium carbonate: cleans grease and alcohol

• Sodium hydroxide: cleans oil stains 

• Sodium polyacrylate: repels separated dirt from clean clothes during the wash process 

How to Store Bleach Properly

Depending on how much you use bleach, you might have one or several bottles in your storage area. It’s essential to store them correctly, so they’re powerful when you need them. 

You should keep bleach:

• Away from sunlight

• At room temperature, about 70 degrees or less

• Away from common contaminants like paint or oil that speed degradation

• Undiluted

If you create a bleach and water solution, it's only valuable for true disinfecting for a day or two because it degrades quickly. You’ll have to mix a new batch each time. 

How to Dispose of Expired Bleach 

If you’ve determined your bleach is expired, the next step is to get rid of it properly. Since bleach breaks down into salt water, it's okay to flush or wash away expired bleach. But it’s essential to dilute it before pouring it down the drain.

With the water running, slowly pour the bleach out. Let the water run for several seconds to flush the pipes. Use the toilet for small amounts of bleach—flush twice to dilute.