Private Label · Disinfectant

Bleach Wipes

Q: Do bleach wipes kill C. difficile?

Yes, and that is the main reason to use them. C. difficile persists as a spore that resists alcohol, quaternary ammonium and most other disinfectants. Sodium hypochlorite at 5,500 ppm available chlorine is sporicidal, typically with a four-minute contact time. The surface must be pre-cleaned and must stay visibly wet for the full dwell period or the claim does not hold.

We manufacture private label germicidal bleach wipes at 0.55% sodium hypochlorite — the concentration hospitals use when spores are the problem. Made in the USA for outbreak response, terminal cleaning and long-term care programmes that need a documented sporicidal claim.

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All Medical Wipes

0.55% NaOCl · SPORICIDAL · C. DIFF & NOROVIRUS · MADE IN THE USA

Private label germicidal bleach wipes with sodium hypochlorite by Phoenix Wipes

Active

0.55% Sodium Hypochlorite (5,500 ppm)

Kills

C. difficile spores, MRSA, norovirus

Contact time

1–4 minutes by organism

Shelf life

12–18 months

How it works

The only chemistry here that reliably kills spores

Sodium hypochlorite works by oxidation and chlorination — it attacks protein and enzyme structures, disrupts cell metabolism and destroys nucleic acids. Crucially, it does this to bacterial spores as well as to vegetative cells. Clostridioides difficile survives in the environment as a spore that shrugs off alcohol, quats and most other chemistries; hypochlorite at 5,500 ppm available chlorine does not care. That single property is the reason bleach wipes exist as a distinct product category in healthcare.

The standard clinical concentration is 0.55% sodium hypochlorite — roughly a 1:10 dilution of household bleach, stabilised so the available chlorine is still at label strength when the canister is opened months later. Contact time runs from about one minute for MRSA and enveloped viruses to four minutes for C. difficile spores, and the surface must remain visibly wet for that whole period.

Bleach demands respect in three ways. It must be used on a pre-cleaned surface — organic soil consumes available chlorine before it reaches the pathogen. It is corrosive to some metals and will discolour fabrics, carpets and unsealed surfaces. And it has a distinct odour that limits use in occupied rooms. Facilities therefore run bleach as a targeted tool, not a daily one, alongside a quat for routine work.

At a glance

✓0.55% sodium hypochlorite (5,500 ppm available chlorine)

✓Sporicidal — kills C. difficile spores

✓Effective on MRSA, VRE, norovirus, RSV, influenza

✓Stabilised formulation holds strength through shelf life

✓EPA List K / sporicidal claim support

Requires: pre-cleaned surface, visible wetness for full dwell time, and PPE per label. Corrosive to some metals; discolours fabrics.

Applications

Where bleach wipes are used

A targeted, protocol-driven product. Buyers are almost always responding to a specific organism or a specific audit finding.

C. difficile isolation rooms

The core application. Daily and terminal disinfection of rooms under contact precautions, where a sporicidal claim is mandatory rather than preferable.

Norovirus outbreak response

Cruise ships, schools, long-term care and hospitality outbreaks, where hypochlorite is the fastest reliable answer to a non-enveloped virus spreading through a closed population.

Terminal & discharge cleaning

Full room turnover after a patient with a multi-drug-resistant organism, where the next occupant’s risk is the whole point of the exercise.

MRSA & VRE decolonisation

Environmental disinfection in surgical wards and dialysis units as part of a resistant-organism control bundle.

Long-term care & hospice

Bathroom, commode and high-touch surface disinfection where residents are frail and gastrointestinal outbreaks spread fast.

Laboratory & mortuary

Bench, sink and equipment decontamination where the organism is unknown and worst case must be assumed.

Specifications

Bleach wipe specifications

Available chlorine at end of shelf life is the number that matters. Everything else on this table is negotiable.

Active ingredient	0.55% w/w sodium hypochlorite
Available chlorine	5,500 ppm (≈1:10 household bleach dilution)
Alternative strengths	0.25% – 0.65% NaOCl to claim requirement
Substrate	Bleach-compatible nonwoven, 50–75 gsm
Standard wipe sizes	6″ × 5″ · 6″ × 7″ · 9″ × 12″ · 12″ × 12″
Saturation	4–8 g solution per wipe
Contact time	1 min (MRSA, enveloped virus) – 4 min (C. difficile)
Efficacy	Sporicidal, bactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal, tuberculocidal
Pre-clean required	Yes — organic soil consumes available chlorine
Material cautions	Corrosive to some metals; discolours fabrics
Shelf life	12–18 months unopened (chlorine decay)
Registration	EPA registration and List K claim support

Packaging formats

Canister70 / 110 / 150 wipes
Softpack60–100 wipes, resealable
Large-format9″ × 12″ terminal-clean wipe
Single sachet1 wipe, outbreak kit format
Bucket refill110–150 large wipes
Bulk caseCustom count, master-carton labelled

The substrate has to be chosen for the chemistry: hypochlorite degrades cellulose-rich nonwovens, so a bleach wipe on the wrong substrate loses both strength and wet-strength before expiry. We use a bleach-compatible blend as standard.

Comparison

Bleach vs. the other medical wipe chemistries

Bleach is the strongest and the most demanding chemistry we make. It should be the second disinfectant in a range, never the only one.

Product	Active ingredient	Kill spectrum	Best for	Applied to
Alcohol Wipes	70% isopropyl alcohol	Bacteria, fungi, enveloped viruses. Not sporicidal	Fast skin prep before injections & blood draws	Skin + device
Chlorhexidine Wipes	2–4% chlorhexidine gluconate	Broad antibacterial with persistent residual action	Pre-surgical bathing & catheter site prep	Skin only
Iodine Wipes	10% povidone-iodine	Broadest: bacteria, viruses, fungi, spores	Pre-surgical prep where visible coverage matters	Skin only
Hydrogen Peroxide Wipes	0.5–1.4% hydrogen peroxide	Bacteria, viruses incl. norovirus; sporicidal at higher levels	Residue-free surface disinfection near patients	Surface
Quat Wipes	Quaternary ammonium (BZK/dual-quat)	Bacteria, enveloped viruses. Not C. diff or norovirus	Routine daily surface disinfection, low odour	Surface
Bleach WipesThis page	0.55% sodium hypochlorite	Everything incl. C. difficile spores & norovirus	Outbreak response & terminal cleaning	Surface
Dry Sterile Wipes	None — sterile substrate only	Sterile (SAL 10⁻⁶); you choose the solution	Wound care with your own sterile solution	Skin + wound
No-Rinse Bathing Wipes	pH-balanced surfactant + emollients	Cleansing (CHG 2% version available)	Full-body bathing without water or basin	Skin only

Sodium hypochlorite germicidal bleach wipe canister production line in the USA

Private Label & OEM

A sporicidal claim under your own label

Bleach wipes are bought on the claim panel. If your artwork lists C. difficile with a defensible contact time, you are in a procurement conversation that quat wipes cannot enter. We formulate stabilised hypochlorite on a bleach-compatible substrate, validate available chlorine at end of shelf life, and support the EPA registration work that makes the claim stick.

✓Stabilised 0.55% NaOCl, validated at end of shelf life

✓Bleach-compatible substrate — no wet-strength loss on ageing

✓EPA registration and List K sporicidal claim support

✓Claim panel and dwell-time table built into your artwork

✓Outbreak-kit sachets and terminal-clean large formats

FAQ

Bleach wipes FAQ

Do bleach wipes kill C. difficile?

Yes, and that is the main reason to use them. C. difficile persists as a spore that resists alcohol, quaternary ammonium and most other disinfectants. Sodium hypochlorite at 5,500 ppm available chlorine is sporicidal, typically with a four-minute contact time. The surface must be pre-cleaned and must stay visibly wet for the full dwell period or the claim does not hold.

What concentration of bleach do hospitals use?

0.55% sodium hypochlorite — about 5,500 ppm available chlorine, equivalent to a 1:10 dilution of household bleach. Commercial wipes use a stabilised version of that concentration so the available chlorine is still at label strength when the pack is opened, which a hand-mixed dilution cannot guarantee.

Do bleach wipes work on norovirus?

Yes. Norovirus is non-enveloped and therefore resistant to alcohol and unreliable with quats, but hypochlorite inactivates it readily. This is why bleach wipes are the standard response in norovirus outbreaks in schools, care homes, cruise ships and hospitality.

Why do bleach wipes have a shorter shelf life?

Available chlorine decays over time, even in a sealed pack — that is chemistry, not a formulation flaw. We specify 12–18 months and validate strength at end of shelf life rather than only at release. Any bleach wipe claiming a 36-month shelf life should be asked for its end-of-life potency data.

Can bleach wipes damage surfaces?

Yes, and the label must say so. Sodium hypochlorite is corrosive to some metals — particularly aluminium and unprotected steel — and will discolour fabrics, carpets and unsealed wood. It should be used on hard, non-porous, bleach-tolerant surfaces, and some protocols call for a water rinse afterwards on stainless steel.

Do I need to clean the surface before using a bleach wipe?

Yes. Organic soil — blood, faeces, food, body fluids — consumes available chlorine before it reaches the pathogen, so applying bleach to a visibly dirty surface wastes most of the active. The standard protocol is clean first, then disinfect, which is why many facilities pair bleach wipes with a quat wipe that cleans and disinfects in one step for routine work.