Diluted household bleach solutions can be used if appropriate for the surface. Bleach becomes 20 percent less effective as each year goes by.Does color-safe bleach kill germs? Color-safe bleach does not disinfect like regular bleach does because they have different active ingredients. Color-safe bleach uses hydrogen peroxide while regular bleach has sodium hypochlorite. The Environmental Protection Agency does not list Clorox 2, or color-safe bleach as an effective way to kill germs and bacteria.