Sodium hypochlorite is manufactured by mixing chlorine with sodium hydroxide and water.
Following testing to ensure proper strength and filtering to remove any impurities, the sodium hypochlorite bleach is bottled. Except for quality control improvements, Clorox bleach remains unchanged since its introduction to American consumers in 1916. The objective of washing clothes is to remove soil, stains, bacteria and odors from fabrics. When bleach comes into contact with large, chain-linked soil molecules, it breaks them down into smaller units. These units have a harder time sticking to clothes.