You Can Make Your Own Germ Killer

It’s a potential game-changer, and I wish I’d known about it sooner.

Over the last few months, a disinfectant called hypochlorous acid (HOCl or HClO) has popped up occasionally when we talk about dealing with germs and emerging pandemics. It got a little bit of attention at the beginning of the 2020s. Since then, not many people talk about it very often, probably because attention has shifted away from fomite transmission (surfaces) to the need for better masks, better clean air technologies, and more access to both.

Now that we’re facing threats like H5N1 bird flu, Mpox, Marburg, and other viruses that last longer on surfaces, we need to bring fomites back into the conversation. Fortunately, HOCl can work on surfaces and in the air. It’s gaining attention in the food industry, where it’s recently been shown to outperform other methods. It kills salmonella, listeria, and E. coli, which is good news. There’s even some evidence that it can work as a therapeutic.

You can make it yourself.

First, let’s talk about virus tiers and why they matter:

The EPA breaks viruses down into three tiers, from weakest to toughest. Fortunately, viruses like Covid, Mpox, flu, and even Ebola fall into tier one. That means a standard solution of HOCl at .025 percent (250 ppm) can kill them. Disinfectants with strong concentrations of HOCl (500 ppm) can kill tier 3 viruses when you follow the instructions, which work about the same as any other chemical. You spray. You wait several minutes. You wipe. You relax.

You can also use HOCl to purify water, the same way you’d use bleach.

Medical researchers have known about HOCl for a while, but they’re still learning surprising new things about it. A 2024 study in Nature even found that a HOCl solution helped treat diabetic mice. Research has also linked excessive amounts of HOCl to some autoimmune disorders.

How sure are we that HOCl works?

Very sure.

The EPA and CDC both list it as an effective disinfectant. Plus, more studies have highlighted its use in fighting pathogens.

A 2023 study in Frontiers in Microbiology covers how hypochlorous acid destroys multiple viruses, including Covid. As the authors say, “it is one of the foremost endogenous molecules for effective phagocytosis of invading bacteria,” meaning it’s incredibly good at killing germs.

It knocks bleach out of the park, 80-100 times more effective.

And it’s safe.

Your own immune cells produce hypochlorous acid as a key defense against viruses and bacteria. It destroys the cell walls of invaders and deranges their proteins, killing them or their ability to replicate.

Research has shown that at 300 ppm, it doesn’t cause damage to human skin cells or lung tissue. However, a 2024 study found that you shouldn’t go over that amount. At 400-500 ppm, it becomes dangerous. If you’re going to use industrial-grade HOCl, treat it like it’s bleach.

HOCl has a long history.

Some sources trace its use back hundreds of years. The military started using hypochlorous acid during WWI to treat wounds, and they also used it to treat gangrene, diphtheria, and scarlet fever. Hypochlorous acid fell out of practice for a while because it was hard to keep stable. If you couldn’t test the pH or chlorine levels, it was also hard to tell you were making it right. With better tools and technology, it’s been making a comeback as a powerful disinfectant, and hospitals are using it to treat wounds and illness again. They’re also using it to facilitate healing after surgery. Dermatologists are using it to treat skin conditions where pathogens play a role. It’s becoming pretty commonplace in healthcare.

A 2023 study in the Journal of Dental Research found that hypochlorous acid can destroy Covid and H1N1 flu within 30 seconds.

A 2023 study in BMC Oral Health recommends it as a mouthwash.

You can use hypochlorous acid almost anywhere. For example, a 2024 study in the Journal of Infection and Chemotherapy found that when you spray it on toys, it knocks down germ counts considerably.

A review of hypochlorous acid in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery confirms its germicidal potential and explains how it’s made as well as how long it lasts. To make it, you mix one gram of non-iodized salt and one teaspoon of vinegar into one liter of water, stir, and then run electrolysis. The process produces a solution that’s 50-200 parts per million (ppm) with a pH balance between five and seven. A lower pH and a higher ppm keep it stable longer, up to two weeks if you store it in a closed container away from sunlight. You can check it with pH and chlorine test strips when you’re done to make sure it works.

If you’re up for it, you can make your own HOCl from scratch. This page from the University of California at Berkeley explains how. You’re basically making your own electrolysis device in order to run a current through the water and separate the chemicals to make a chlorine solution that’s lower in pH than bleach, which is what makes it safer and more effective.

That’s the HOCl.

If you’re not the Bill Nye type or just not in the mood, you can buy HOCl generators online at various stores. A lot of people recommend the Eco One or the Force of Nature generators, but they’re just examples. You can make sure they work by getting test strips. Some kits come with their own strips.

You can also buy HOCl humidifiers.

Anecdotally, some people have said they’ve cleared viral infections by setting these up in their rooms overnight. Curious, I started searching for any studies on HOCl as an antiviral treatment. I found one clinical trial withdrawn with no follow-up. Then I found a study in a 2021 issue of the European Archives of Oto Rhino Laryngology that confirmed an HOCl spray led to a 99 percent efficacy in viral reduction “on both the nasal and oral mucosa” in less than one minute, without harmful effects. And I found another study in a 2024 issue of Water & Health reviewing the uses of HOCl, concluding that concentrations as low as 30 ppm showed antiviral activity, and that HOCl in concentrations of 20-60 ppm was safe for animals to drink.

Maybe the NIH should look into all this…?

It looks to me like we have a potential compound that not only kills pathogens in the air and on surfaces, but could also clear up infections during the early stages. It works exactly like your immune system does. You can ingest it and even inhale it at the concentration your body produces (about 300 ppm), and it kills most of the germs you’re likely to come across.

If you have any health conditions or a serious autoimmune issue, you’ll want to do some more digging and talk to more experts before trying any experiments with HOCl humidifiers. I’ve run across at least one study that discusses excess amounts of it as a factor in diseases like arthritis and multiple sclerosis. So, more HOCl in your system might not be good for all of us.

Surely there’s a good reason why we’re not trying this out as a way to treat viral persistence, or maybe there’s not. Maybe our intuition is right once again, and big pharmaceutical companies are pressuring the elitists in charge of our public health agencies into giving vast preference to sexy drugs while overlooking cheap, reliable, proven possibilities right in front of us. Let me know your thoughts. Meanwhile, if I get infected with Covid or bird flu, I’ll probably give a HOCl humidifier a shot, since my odds of getting Paxlovid are almost zero.

So, that’s one more tool in our kit.

We’ll need them.