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Thread Number: 46122
Chlorine Bleaches-All The Same Or Different? |
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Post# 673965 , Reply# 1 4/19/2013 at 13:07 (4,017 days old) by Launderess  (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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For Whitening Purposes
Generic chlorine bleaches probably are just as good as Clorox. However if you are seeking something to be used for disinfecting around the home look for the EPA Reg number on the label. Not all versions of even Clorox have this and many store or other brands do not as well. If it lacks this then the strength of product is not great enough for disinfection/sanitation.
Should add as a disclaimer one does not use LCB for laundry or other purposes for that matter. So one's advice is meant to be in general. Since LCB is verboten in the Miele one hasn't bothered. Also never could stand the smell of chlorine wafting from dishwasher when detergents such as Cascade were laden with the stuff. Was that happy when enzyme based detergents for automatic dishwashers came along. This post was last edited 04/19/2013 at 15:03 | ||
| Post# 673966 , Reply# 2 4/19/2013 at 13:14 (4,017 days old) by Iheartmaytag (Wichita, Kansas) | ||
My mother swears there is a difference. She claims, and I will agree on the logic, that for moping floors etc, the cheap stuff is ok, for laundry, Clorox, Purex are filtered with less impurities and and thus far don't leave as much residue behind. She claims that "off brands" yellow the clothes. I actually have had very good results with the cheap-o Walmart brand.
I have no scientific evidence to this, my Mama says. You know me I'm a chlorine addict, so if it smells bleachy, I'm happy. | ||
| Post# 673973 , Reply# 3 4/19/2013 at 14:02 (4,017 days old) by norgeway (mocksville n c ) | ||
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I dont know ... How true this is, but a friend who is a Dentist told me that Clorox is used in root canals by many dentists and is the only bleach pure enough for medical use, I dont know about that, but to my mind it is leagues ahead of the off brands. | ||
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Post# 673975 , Reply# 4 4/19/2013 at 14:06 (4,017 days old) by ultramatic (New York City) |
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There are differences... | ||
| Post# 673982 , Reply# 6 4/19/2013 at 14:45 (4,017 days old) by laundromat (Hilo, Hawaii) | ||
Clorox Splashless I'm not sure what they've done to the original formula to improve but ever since I did the laundry,I noticed the cheaper brands of bleach my family would buy were more coarse and ate the fabric dry rotting the clothes.When we bought our Lady Kenmore Combination, I would do the wash and always bought Clorox and Dash or All.Everything was measured and dispensed properly and every load came ot perfect.Once I left on my own,Ive sworn by it. When the new Splashless Clorox came out, I had coupons and tried it.It really does well in whitening whites and removing hard stains.I pour it in my toilets, mop water,and put it in a plastic spray bottle for the tires on the cars and rust stains my navy belt hook leaves on my white shorts.They are now celebrating their one hundred year anniversary! | ||
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Post# 673995 , Reply# 8 4/19/2013 at 15:42 (4,017 days old) by Yogitunes (New Jersey) |
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only Regular Clorox is the real deal of pure and used for disinfectant.....check their website for a generalization, and holds true for most bleaches....whats great is they have a formula to make water potable should you encounter a disaster and need fresh drinking water....good thing to keep on hand, just in case...there's a lot of info on the website too, this can be used in small kiddie pools to keep them clean as a big pool, as long as there is 4 parts per million (PPM) your good to go...
Clorox regular is 5.25% sodium hypochlorite(sp?)....Normally 1 cup is for a regular load... Ultra's are 6.25%.....at this formula, 3/4 cup is used for a regular load.... just check the label for any bleach you are going to purchase, they should have one or the other concentration.....or anything in between the scented bleaches are less powerful than the regulars.... and anything with less than 2% does not have to be put on the label.....in this case, who knows what your getting, could be all water and a teaspoon of Sodium/Hypo....best to stay away, you would be wasting your money... I get the Tandil Bleach from ALDI, it's at 6.0%....I buy it by the case, and it works fine for everything from clothing, to toilets and showers, dog pens, and general cleaning....usually around $1.09 for a bottle of 96oz.....their liquid detergent, orange bottle/blue cap, I swear is TIDE, the color, texture, and scent....just like regular TIDE, and cleans just as good...$6.99 for 64 loads...try it....they offer a full refund if you don't like it | ||
| Post# 674087 , Reply# 9 4/19/2013 at 21:21 (4,017 days old) by jerrod6 (Southeastern Pennsylvania) | ||
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Some of the Clorox and other bleach formulas contain surfactants. I don't understand this. Why add even more surfactants to a wash that has detergent that already contains surfactants? | ||
| Post# 674136 , Reply# 10 4/20/2013 at 07:57 (4,017 days old) by mark_wpduet (Lexington KY) | ||
Here's what I've used for years  | ||
| Post# 674138 , Reply# 11 4/20/2013 at 08:00 (4,017 days old) by mark_wpduet (Lexington KY) | ||
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Ingredient label | ||
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Post# 674140 , Reply# 12 4/20/2013 at 08:11 (4,017 days old) by jamiel (Detroit, Michigan and Palm Springs, CA) |
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Interesting...that Kroger bleach is a disinfectant (..kills 99.9% of germs). Note on the lot number the plant (GA-03 ) is specified...that would let the EPA trace it back to the manufacturing plant. Essentially, the only disinfectant bleaches are the traditional ones (or their concentrated counterparts)....scented, thickened, etc are not disinfectant and are less strong. Here in Michigan we sometimes get bleach sourced from Canada, but it still has to be EPA certified. Since it's so heavy, it's expensive to ship so the radius from a bleach plant is pretty small (if you're really interested there was a case back in the late 50s where P&G bought Clorox...the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) filed suit and required P&G to divest Clorox; saying that P&G had the resources to create a business and buying the #1 brand let them corner the market. Interesting names from those days of the local bleach companies (Linco in Chicago/HiLex in Minneapolis/Roman Cleanser in Detroit and Florida) in the lawsuit (you can find it on Google)
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| Post# 674148 , Reply# 13 4/20/2013 at 09:04 (4,017 days old) by labboy (SD, CA) | ||
Differences...
There are differences between Clorox and the other bleaches. The products I support (laboratory instruments) use sodium hypochlorite for routine cleaning and maintenance. For many years, my company and other laboratory instrument vendors have recommended Clorox as it is a filtered bleach product.
When the many varieties (scented, thickened, HE, etc.) came along it caused problems as the various additives cause clogs and leave interfering residues behind when used on many systems for maintenance procedures. We are very specific that only Clorox Regular formulations should be used on our systems. (No scented, no Splashless, no High Efficiency, etc.) In writing the technical bulletins explaining what type of bleach is OK for our products, I learned from Clorox Technical Service that the chlorine concentrations are reduced in the scented and other formulas to make them more acceptable to the consumer. The reduced chlorine concentrations and other additives mean they do not have disinfection claims. Only EPA registered disinfectants can say claim "Disinfects" or "Sanitizes", have to have the sodium hypochlorite concentration and the EPA registration number on the label. Here is a link to a Clorox technical service bulletin which lists the many, many uses for the "regular" registered, disinfectant Clorox. Who knew it could be used for Maine Lobsters? CLICK HERE TO GO TO labboy's LINK | ||
| Post# 674151 , Reply# 14 4/20/2013 at 09:32 (4,017 days old) by mark_wpduet (Lexington KY) | ||
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I know what you mean
I have never used anything other than regular bleach because I can tell it's not the same....I'm sure Clorox is filtered more than the regular store brand bleach, but I still have always been happy with this bleach.....
I just noticed after I took that picture that this expires in 2 months! Holy crap there's over 1/2 a bottle left. I buy a gallon at a time and it literally takes me a year or so to go through it because I have always felt a little of this goes a long way... I didn't realize until JUST NOW that bleach has an expiration date....I wonder if I should toss it after June? What a waste! | ||
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Post# 674193 , Reply# 15 4/20/2013 at 15:21 (4,016 days old) by Yogitunes (New Jersey) |
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funny how Clorox...or bleach in general...is made from SALT water of the ocean.....and once used, returns to that formulation.....you would think harmful in a way, but I have the greenest lawn on the right hand side of my house....
I said it before....take bleach, and spray areas of your lawn, first it will turn yellow, great for lettering at parties, then almost brown, and then grow back more green and plush than any lawn chemical ever could...do a small patch, see what happens.... I don't doubt that Clorox is filtered.....the first few hundred gallons is labeled store brand, before the Clorox bottles get filled.....it happens at all companies... Lemon was a great scent when first introduced.....but for the past few years, I can't small any scent left over from any of the scented versions... this is a fun thread....what esle do you use bleach for other than laundry? | ||
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Post# 674198 , Reply# 16 4/20/2013 at 16:21 (4,016 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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For Long Term Storage
Best to use dry chlorine bleach common to commercial laundries. It is also sold in small "vend" sizes for use in laundromats.
Dry chlorine bleach is more stable than the liquid variety which is one of the reasons you find it in powdered dishwasher detergents. Also because it is dry many find it easier to use than liquids. | ||
| Post# 674293 , Reply# 17 4/20/2013 at 23:33 (4,016 days old) by mark_wpduet (Lexington KY) | ||
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I use it | ||
| Post# 674306 , Reply# 19 4/21/2013 at 02:22 (4,016 days old) by mark_wpduet (Lexington KY) | ||
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I think after I use this gallon
I'm going to start buying smaller bottles since I didn't realize bleach expired that quickly. I know in the past, when I'm nearing the END of the gallon, after about a year, it still has that strong chlorine smell to me, so maybe it hasn't gone completely bad. It's just that I only use liquid bleach for whites, sheets, towels; the Duet dispenser doesn't hold that much bleach AT ALL. I can't imagine using a WHOLE CUP of the stuff even in a top loader. Bleach is so strong! I once ran a clean washer cycle and used a cup of bleach and I will never do that again. The fumes were so strong. I love a faint bleach smell, but not the strong overpowering smell. I mean, if you can kill germs with a tablespoon in a spray bottle, I would think you most certainly wouldn't need an entire cup, would you?
I don't think I could imagine not using bleach ever in my washer. I also seem to remember reading that someone said they believed that bleach actually helps the spider to last longer by keeping the muck out of your washer......Not sure if that's true. Wish I could remember where I read that. I've also read that it shortens the life of your washer. Who knows? All I know is that I've used it for 8 years now and have no issues at all. | ||
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Post# 674378 , Reply# 20 4/21/2013 at 11:00 (4,016 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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Expired bleach:
The chlorine content of the liquid bleach will gradually drop as the chlorine reverts to common salt. The expiration date indicates when the active chlorine content will drop below the labeled concentration. However, for laundry or other purposes one can simply use more of the product to compensate for any loss of activity. The rule of thumb seems to be that liquid chlorine bleach will lose 20% of its strength after 1 year, and 20% each year after that. Here's a recipe for using calcium hypochlorite (pool shock) powder to make smaller batches of liquid chlorine bleach as needed. CLICK HERE TO GO TO sudsmaster's LINK | ||
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Post# 674385 , Reply# 21 4/21/2013 at 11:19 (4,016 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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Here's another article on chlorine bleach, including the claim that fresh solution made from dry calcium hypochlorite is a much better disinfectant than liquid bleach made from sodium hypochlorite:
CHLORINE, A GREAT DISINFECTANT BUT WE MUST LEARN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN sodium hypochlorite i.e. HOUSEHOLD BLEACH and calcium hypochlorite DRY CHLORINE TABLETS AND POWDER Dr. Leon Buchan PhD Microbiology, Control Chemicals LTD Robert J. Saldivar, MS Animal Science, Sanitation Specialist, Texas A&M University 1958 Calcium Hypochlorite tablets when mixed with water produce a FRESH hypochlorite solution, used as it is being produced. “BLEACH”, often called “chlorine bleach” a sodium hypochlorite solution usually containing LYE is manufactured at a factory, stored, shipped to distribution centers, stored again and then sold. According to all the technical literature, depending on storage conditions; all hypochlorite solutions will lose half of their potency in less than thirty days. Light, temperature and age are the biggest factors. We must also recognize that the word bleach means to whiten, and it does not mean it contains chlorine. There are many bleaching agents that do not contain any chlorine at all and are still called bleach. A web site of the Clorox company says “CLOROX BLEACH IS NOT CHLORINE, EVEN THOUGH SOME CALL IT “CHLORINE BLEACH” IT CONTAINS NO MORE CHLORINE THAN COMMON TABLE SALT ” 1998, The Clorox Company There are three main and distinct differences between calcium hypochlorite and sodium hypochlorite, often called "chlorine bleach". 1- Dry calcium hypochlorite tablets produce a "FRESH" hypochlorite solution when mixed with water. In tests done, a solution produced with the proper calcium hypochlorite tablet, can maintain “free available chlorine” or HOCl the active disinfectant in a chlorine solution, for about 4 hrs, then it starts rapidly degrading. There are many dry chlorine dispensers available. The biggest misconception is that liquid household bleach (sodium hypochlorite) does not loose potency until you make a sodium hypochlorite solution; “liquid household bleach” is already a sodium hypochlorite solution, that starts degrading soon after manufacture, so a "bleach" bottle bought at a retail store or chemical supply house is, NOT A FRESH HYPOCHLORITE SOLUTION it is a hypochlorite solution with an unknown chlorine content, so when we make a solution all we are doing is diluting an already weak hypochlorite solution even more. All literature recommends that if you are using “chlorine bleach”, daily tests should be conducted by a laboratory to assure its potency. 2. - For a chlorine solution to be a good disinfectant it must meet the Chlorine Demand. The chlorine demand is the amount of FREE AVAILABLE CHLORINE, or (FAC) often called HYPOCHLORUS ACID or HOCl, needed to disinfect or oxidize organic matter before a FAC residual is reached. If the chlorine demand is not met then complete disinfection has not been obtained. One of the best signs that the Chlorine Demand has not been met is the strong chlorine odor present produced by chloramine gas. HOCl, (hypochlorus acid), is the most germicidal of all chlorine compounds, between 80 and 120 times stronger than the OCl- ion. (Kapoor, University of Illinois. Fair, G.M. Harvard University). The pH of the solution is the determining factor on which species of chlorine is produced in the solution, HOCl or OCl-. The ideal pH of a disinfecting chlorine solution is a pH of 6 to 8. 3.- Most FRESH CALCIUM HYPOCHLORITE solutions have a pH of between 7and 8, ALL (fresh or old) SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE solutions, (“chlorine bleach”) unless buffered by the injection of an acid, have a pH of 10.25+ producing no HOCl. These solutions produce only the OCl- ion, a very poor disinfectant which is from 80 to 120 times less effective as a disinfectant than HOCl, providing that there is any chlorine left in the stock solution. There is a big misconception that an EPA REGISTRATION means that product is APPROVED by EPA. According to the EPA web site the registration means that, “All pesticides, (disinfectants are pesticides), sold or distributed in the USA must be registered by EPA, based on scientific studies showing that they can be used without posing unreasonable risksto people or the environment. CLICK HERE TO GO TO sudsmaster's LINK | ||
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Post# 674387 , Reply# 22 4/21/2013 at 11:29 (4,016 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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FWIW, Lever dry chlorine bleach is not the same as pool shock.
Pool shock is calcium hypochlorite. The lever dry bleach product is sodium dichloroisocyanuric acid. These yield different liquid compositions when diluted with water. Not sure I'd want to use pool shock in laundry due to the calcium content. Also according to the previous article, liquid solutions made from pool shock have a shelf life of only about four hours. They are supposedly better for disinfection than liquid sodium hypochlorite solutions, but also perhaps more hazardous as well. CLICK HERE TO GO TO sudsmaster's LINK | ||
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Post# 674432 , Reply# 23 4/21/2013 at 13:00 (4,015 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Buying LCB
Always purchase LCB of whatever brand from a shop that has decent turnover and make sure to check the expiration date. For the odd times one does purchase the stuff (dealing with mould in the bathroom for instance) usually reach behind the bottles on the front of shelf for something towards the back. Usually when the stockboys do shelves in stores the older products are moved to the front whilst fresh stuff goes in back.
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Post# 674437 , Reply# 24 4/21/2013 at 13:15 (4,015 days old) by Yogitunes (New Jersey) |
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I have used pool chlorine granules to "clean" any machine I have gotten which has mold and scum thruout its internals.....
hot water wash and a thorough rinse takes care of everything the first time around.... great stuff if used with caution.....you would be suprised at what this fresh concentrated solution will clean...!.... same thing goes for city water....if you can smell the chlorine, they didn't add enough! interesting links...thanks guys for your efforts.....learning more and more | ||
| Post# 675283 , Reply# 25 4/24/2013 at 18:43 (4,012 days old) by kqkenmore (memphis tn) | ||
I use to only buy Clorox and nothing else but I noticed that on the back of the bottle it says that it is Mfd for the Clorox Co so I am thinking that they are not making there own bleach and also I saw on the Sun Website that they make products for the Clorox co.That is when I started to try other premium bleaches Tandil from Aldi's and Kroger Home because it is there best cleaning brand (plus Kroger is the only game in Memphis)and Target up and up brand. I look at how much chlorine is in the bleach and get the one with the most.The one thing that I like more is the bleach tabs that they have at Walmart I use 3 tabs in a full load in my TL Speed Queen.Stay away from the Kroger Value Liquid Bleach and Top Job at Dollar General because they only contain 2% chlorine so it is like using bleach water. The main thing that I use liquid bleach for is instead of Drano or Liquid Plumr for drain cleaner it is about the same thing but it cost a lot less and works better.
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