The compound is a disinfectant, algicide and bactericide mainly for swimming pools and dyestuffs, and is also used as a bleaching agent in the textile industry. It is widely used in civil sanitation for pools and spas, preventing and curing diseases in animal husbandry and fisheries, fruit and vegetable preservation, wastewater treatment, as an algicide for recycled water in industry and air conditioning, in anti shrink treatment for woolens, for treating seeds and in organic chemical synthesis. It is used in chemical synthesis as an easy to store and transport chlorine gas source, it is not subject to hazardous gas shipping restrictions, and its reaction with hydrochloric acid produces relatively pure chlorine.
Trichloroisocyanuric acid as used in swimming pools is easier to handle than chlorine gas. It dissolves slowly in water, but as it reacts, cyanuric acid concentration in the pool will build-up.