Hello, ALL.  I'm hoping this question is interesting, and BIR, we have
at least one Chemistry major who at least lurks here.

While recently involved in cleaning up, painting and etc. on this
house in FL for selling it, I've become interested in learning more
about the chemistry of bleach.

I think I've learned that bleach is manufactured by reacting a solution
of lye (NaOH) with Chlorine (Cl2).  The product (bleach) is NaOCl. In
the "household bleach" concentration, it is in the range of 4 to 5%
solution.

Although that is the way they say they make it at the Clorox website, I
don't understand this recipe  - - seems like just reacting NaOH
solution with bubbling Cl2 gas would end up with extra hydrogen .
i.e.  NaOH + Cl = NaOcl +H

I've read that the "bleach" breaks down into NaCl (table salt) and
Oxygen, and the the released Oxygen is what does all the "bleaching"
work - -  Chlorine does none of this work.  I also read - - extra NaOH
is used in the manufacture, for stability, and to limit the pH to the 13
to 14 range.

My questions - -

1.  If household bleach ends up being just table salt and oxygen,  why
do we have the distinctive odor of Chlorine when we do a "sniff" test?

2.  Is the excess of NaOH from the manufacturing process the reason that
it feels so "slippery" when we get a bit of bleach on our hands and go
to rinse it off?

3.  Could any excess  NaOH be a hygroscopic chemical - - that is, if
there were to be any excess NaOH residue from previous bleaching
operations to kill mildew before repainting, could that be the reason
that on the few "rainy days" we've had since the underside of my patio
deck was bleached down,  that the underside of some of the deck rafters
has visible moisture accumulating on it??

BTW, my painter-helper fellow used a "double strength" type of bleach
solution - - about twice the strength of household bleach - as he gets
from the swimming pool companies and they pitch this solution to the
owners of RV's and etc. for purifying their water systems.  He sprayed
it full-strength, low pressure, onto the bottom of the patio deck, and
it is 1x6 T&G decking, with some cracks between the planks.  We washed
it all down later with 2500 psi pressure washer, but that could have
driven any residue of the NaOH up into those cracks.  That is my theory
for what I have seen - -- and the visible moisture condensation is
occurring on the bottoms of only a small percent of those 3x6 or so
patio deck rafters which support the 1x6 T&G wood deck.

Thanks in advance for any insight or advice.
- - -  JimH.

... Inquiring minds want to know. - Bubba
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