Clorox vs. Lysol: What’s the Difference?

Keeping your house clean and free from germs is not an option but a necessity. For our health and that of our loved ones, it is important to use disinfectants for this purpose as most of them are effective against pathogens and other disease-causing agents.

Clorox Company, as one of the largest bleach and disinfectant manufacturers in the US, has built a name for itself with its household products. Its Clorox disinfecting bleach contains about 7.5% sodium hypochlorite, which is more than the 6% found in most bleach products, making it effective against 99.9% of bacteria and germs.

Lysol is also a popular disinfectant brand that is effective against a wide range of pathogens, including the novel coronavirus, earning them an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certification.

The significant differences between Clorox and Lysol are in their product options and ingredients, which, although they serve the same purpose, have different components. Nevertheless, both cleaners are excellent options for floor cleaning.

The table below compares the features of Clorox and Lysol

Features	Clorox	Lysol
Ingredients	Varies with product	Varies with product
Product options	Clorox disinfecting wipes, Clorox toilet bowl cleaner with bleach, Clorox pet solution stain and odor remover, etc	Lysol disinfecting cleaner, Lysol all-purpose wipes, Lysol bleach multi-purpose cleaner, Lysol disinfecting spray, Lysol laundry sanitizer, etc.
Where to use	Hard and non-porous surface	Can be used across a wide range of surfaces
Availability	Easy to access	Easy to access
Effectiveness	Kills 99.9% of germs	Kills 99.9% of germs
Cost	$3 and above, depending on the product	$5 and above, depending on the product

Differences between Clorox and Lysol

Clorox and Lysol are two brands that have consistently stirred up various debates about which is better. While they both are cleaning and disinfecting products, choosing any of them based on the brand isn’t advisable. First, you need to define what or where you want to clean or disinfect, and once that is settled, consider the differences and similarities, which we will discuss below.

Active Ingredients

The products for each brand each have their active ingredients, respectively. However, both Clorox and Lysol bleach have sodium hypochlorite as their active ingredient, which is responsible for cleaning and disinfecting function.

The active ingredients for Clorox disinfecting wipes and Lysol disinfecting wipes are slightly different; although serving the same purpose, but one thing they have in common is that they are both free from the bleach.

Product options

Both brands manufacture products that are ideal for use in every household because all their products are for cleaning and disinfecting purposes.

For Clorox, their products included disinfectant bleach, disinfectant wipes, laundry sanitizer, disinfecting wet mopping cloths, stain, and odor remover, disinfecting spray, etc.,

Lysol’s products include disinfectant sprays, disinfectant wipes, laundry sanitizer, bathroom cleaners, multipurpose cleaners, pet solutions, and the Lysol smart kit.

Cost

Clorox and Lysol are affordable household products with a little difference in their prices. Their costs vary depending on the product you intend to buy, the package size, and where you are buying from.

For instance, the Lysol disinfectant spray costs $5.99 on Amazon, $7.48 from Home Depot, and $8.49 from Target. However, the price per unit reduces when you buy a value pack or bigger package.

Similarities between Clorox and Lysol

Effectiveness

Clorox and Lysol are highly effective against various bacteria and viruses, killing about 99.9% of them on any surface where you use the products.

According to the EPA, Clorox and Lysol disinfecting wipes meet their requirements for products that can be used against the virus responsible for COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2), as they have proven to be highly effective against hard viruses.

Among 400 disinfectant products that the EPA tested against the novel coronavirus, Lysol was the only product that destroyed the virus in about 4 minutes. Also, they stated that the disinfected surface must be wet for about 4 minutes in the case of Clorox and 10 minutes for Lysol to destroy the virus.

Availability

These brands and their products are widely available in Walmart, Amazon, Quill, Home Depot, Target, and other big-box or retail stores.

Although, since the EPA declared some of their products effective against the coronavirus, you can barely find them sitting on shelves anymore because of the high demand. However, if you don’t find the product you are looking for in any of the big stores, check out the company’s official website, you may find it there at a fairer price too.

Applications/Uses

Clorox and Lysol are ideal for hard and nonporous surfaces like your floor, countertops, bathrooms, cabinet, furniture, light switches, remote control, mobile phones, etc., as they do not contain extremely harsh chemicals.

For health and safety reasons, do not use it to clean or disinfect your dishes, kitchenware, or utensils. Also, the Clorox or Lysol wipes cannot be substituted with baby wipes or intimate wipes. So, ensure not to use it on your skin as it can cause irritation and other complications.

Note that the dos and don’ts of these brands vary with products. So, ensure to go through the instructions on their label respectively.

In general, the rules for using Clorox and Lysol, and other cleaning/disinfecting brands include:

Wash your hands after using any cleaning or disinfecting product
Do not store them in areas easily accessible to children or animals
Use protective wear like eyeshield and gloves
Do not inject, inhale, or ingest any cleaning or bleaching products
Do not wash any edible with bleach or cleaning products
Avoid mixing different cleaning and bleaching solutions by all means
Do not use any product that call contains bleach on your fabric, toys, or food contact surfaces

Conclusion

Ultimately, Clorox and Lysol have great cleaning abilities and have proven effective against bacteria and viruses. And because their products are almost alike but composed of slightly different ingredients, you can alternate one for another. However, if you have a deep conviction about any of them, feel free to choose according to your needs.