Trisodium phosphate is a water softening agent that makes water more basic in pH and precipitates calcium and magnesium in hard water. Other ingredients are common substitutes today, because phosphates are banned in many locations. Products that claim to disinfect must be registered. The EPA registration number should be on the label. This indicates the product has met government specifications for effectiveness.
Products vary greatly in their directions for use, so reading the label is very important.
The percent of active ingredient in chlorine bleach varies with brands. Cleaning agents, such as detergents, are not all designed to kill germs, but their use will remove large numbers of microorganisms. The word disinfectant must appear on the label if the product is effective in killing microorganisms. The active ingredient and percentage of this ingredient in the product formulation determines if the product meets the standards for it to function effectively as a disinfectant. It means that it kills bacteria.