Sodium hypochlorite is the recommended disinfectant for cleaning blood spills because it is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial effective against bloodborne pathogens including HBV and HIV. It's inexpensive, readily available, and acts quickly. Iodine is not typically used for environmental decontamination of blood. Absolute alcohol is not effective against all bloodborne pathogens. Quaternary ammonium compounds may not be effective against certain viruses and are not the first choice for blood spills.