Sodium chlorite is a pale yellow, slightly cloudy liquid with a slight chlorine odor. It is corrosive and an oxidizer when dry and harmful if inhaled. It has a pH greater than 12, specific gravity of 1.2 and a concentration of 25%.

The main application of sodium chlorite is the generation of chlorine dioxide for bleaching and stripping of textiles, pulp and paper. It is also used for disinfection.

Uses:

The main application of sodium chlorite is the generation of chlorine dioxide for bleaching and stripping of textiles, pulp, and paper. It is also used for disinfection of municipal water treatment plants after conversion to chlorine dioxide.  An advantage in this application, as compared to the more commonly used chlorine, is that trihalomethanes (such as chloroform) are not produced from organic contaminants.

Chlorine dioxide generated from sodium chlorite can be used for disinfecting water used to wash fruits, vegetables, and poultry.

Sodium chlorite, NaClO2, sometimes in combination with zinc chloride, also finds application as a component in therapeutic rinses, mouthwashes, toothpastes and gels, mouth sprays, as preservative in eye drops, and in contact lens cleaning solution under the trade name Purite.