The two chemicals obtained from common salt are:

Sodium hydroxide and bleaching powder. 

Preparation of sodium hydroxide:

When electricity is passed through an aqueous solution of sodium chloride (called brine), it decomposes to form sodium hydroxide. The process is called the chlor-alkali process because of the products formed, chlor for chlorine and alkali for sodium hydroxide. 

2Nacl (aq.) + 2H₂O (l) ⇾ 2NaOH (aq.) + Cl₂ (g) + H₂ (g) 

Uses: 

i. For de- greasing metals 

ii. For making soaps and detergents, paper iii. For making artificial fibres. 

Preparation of bleaching powder: 

Thus, we see that chlorine is produced during the electrolysis of aqueous sodium chloride (brine). This chlorine gas is used for the manufacture of bleaching powder. Bleaching powder (CaOCl₂) is produced by the action of chlorine on dry slaked lime[Ca(OH)₂] 

Ca(OH)₂ + Cl₂ ⇾ CaOCl₂ + H₂O 

Uses: 

i. For bleaching cotton and linen in the textile industry, for bleaching wood pulp in paper factories and for bleaching washed clothes in laundry, 

ii. As an oxidising agent in many chemical industries, 

iii. To make drinking water free from germs.