- In 1811 hypochlorous acid was identified by Sir Humphry Davy as a substance produced by the body to fight infection, but it was not known on what principle this action was based
- In 1823 Michael Faraday succeeded in isolating hypochlorous acid by electrolysis
- In 1914 hypochlorous acid was used during World War I for washing wounds, it was noticed that thanks to the use of this acid soldiers recovered twice as fast as soldiers, who did not use HOCl
- In 1960 the Russians started to produce hypochlorous acid, but it was very unstable
- In 2010 a British company finally managed to produce a stable form of hypochlorous acid, copying the human body’s defence mechanism
- In the European Union, hypochlorous acid was officially approved in 2018 for the maintenance of human hygiene, as a disinfectant for private use and in the public health sector, for the treatment of drinking water, for the disinfection of food contact surfaces and for the maintenance of veterinary hygiene.
