How should bleach be diluted?

• A. 1:100 ratio with water; 1% bleach solution
• B. 1:50 ratio with water; 0.5% bleach solution
• C. 1:10 ratio with water; 10% bleach solution
• D. 1:4 ratio with water; 25% bleach solution

Answer: (C)

Bleach disinfection relies on using a specific concentration of sodium hypochlorite. The standard practice in esthetics is to mix one part bleach with ten parts water. This creates a disinfectant solution that is strong enough to kill many microorganisms on nonporous surfaces and implements, yet not so concentrated that it becomes overly harsh or corrosive. If the solution is diluted more (like with 1:50 or 1:100), it may not disinfect effectively; if it’s diluted far too little (like 1:4), it becomes unnecessarily strong and hazardous. So, a 1:10 dilution with water is the recommended approach for safe, effective disinfection.