Sanitizing agents

[richtee]

After applying lotion to help my cracked hands for 2 days after this weekend's washing and wiping with a rather strong bleach solution, something I had read a while ago popped into my head. Hydrogen peroxide is a sanitizing agent, and degrades into oxygen and water quickly in the presence of the sun, or even out of a sealed container. It really bugged me dumping a tub of sodium hydroxide <bleach> out onto the ground. A drain can be bad too..it wreaks havoc on septic fields as well.

Here is an excerpt from the Wiki article and a link to it's entirety below.

"Hydrogen peroxide is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) as an antimicrobial agent, an oxidizing agent and for other purposes by the US Food and Drug Administration.[12]
Hydrogen peroxide has been used as an antiseptic and anti-bacterial agent for many years due to its oxidizing effect. While its use has decreased in recent years with the popularity of better-smelling and more readily-available over the counter products, it is still used by many hospitals, doctors and dentists in sterilizing, cleaning and treating everything from floors to root canal procedures."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_peroxide

 

[kookie]

Interesting info. there Richtee ...............Thanks for sharing that with us........Deffently sounds better then using bleach.............

 

[lcruzen]

Don't know why it wouldn't be effective. I use it to sanitized the water tank in our camper every year although a water bleach solution is always the recommended procedure. But I've never had a problem using peroxide.

 

[stfron]

What ratio are you mixing at?

 

[packplantpath]

It does work. The biggest problem is that to be effective, you need to use at least 3% solution. Those brown bottles we buy are 3% most of the time, so you need to use it undiluted. Great for just pouring on a rag and using it. Not so great for large scale use. I've heard of 35 to 40% bottles you can get commercially, but never seen it. I'd check Sam's maybe and see if they have it.

 

[richtee]

As far as the bleach or the H2O2? The H2O2 needs to be about a 3%-5% mix to be effective. Can buy it ready to go. The bleach solution I made up? Who's got time to measure. Maybe a shot glass in a couple gallons. Happened to have the shot glass handy heh.

 

[homebrew & bbq]

Here is a sanitizer that is used for beer and wine making equipment. It doesn't need to be rinsed off. It is environmentally "friendly." And it comes as a powder that mixes one tablespoon to a gallon of water.

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/produ...px?ProdID=6978

 

[newb]

I used onestep as well when making some brew, but I switched to the ease of starsan. It's an acid based sanitizer and does not need to be rinsed either. The only reason I like starsan better is because the contact time is only 1-2 min and a little capful treats 5 gal instead of 1 tablespoon/gal. Starsan doesn't have an odor, taste and is also environmentally friendly.

You can check out what my brew supply store of choice says about it here:
http://www.northernbrewer.com/sanitizers.html

 

[flyin'illini]

Rich, Did you ask the other teams what they were using?

After applying lotion to help my cracked hands for 2 days after this weekend's washing and wiping with a rather strong bleach solution, something I had read a while ago popped into my head. /quote]

 

[richtee]

I did not Glen, but I seen a few bleach bottles on other sites.

 

[gooose53]

Interesting because the last and first comp I entered said in their cook instructions to mix 1 cup of bleach to a gallon of water for the sanitizer station. Our health inspectors came by and asked what we were using and we told him and he had no problems with the bleach. I guess different states have different rules. I'll have to check with ours and see if we can use something different.

 

[lcruzen]

During my years in food service bleach-water was was not only an approved sanitizer, it was preferred. 1TBLSP of bleach per gallon of water I think was the ratio.

 

[fatback joe]

I go through 50 to 70 gloves per contest.

 

[richoso1]

Richtee is right on the $, you can use it on cutting boards too. Vinegar is also a great anitiseptic that I often use.

 

[white cloud]

My dad gave me some sanitizing tablets purchased at GFS. You use 1 Tab per gallon. They are about the size of a quarter. They are for the food service industry.

 

[richtee]

I went thru a few pair too, but I guess I din't use them rinsing, or sometimes it gets inside. Just thought there has to be something less toxic, and there is!

 

[pitrow]

make sure your bleach solution is not too strong. That's just wasting bleach and killing your hands, like you noticed. I believe the accepted solution is 1 tablespoon per gallon and then soak for 10 minutes in the solution.

When I was into home brewing I used Idaphore, which is a iodine based sanitizer that requires no rinsing, and is quicker than bleach (2 minute soak). It does tend to stain plastics (i.e. cutting boards) and I suppose your hands too if they're in it a lot, though.


Also remember that a sanitizer is not a cleaner, and you need to make sure everything is scrubbed clean before you move on to sanitizing.


You have to be careful with words here. Cleaning is different than sanitizing. Bleach is not a good cleaner, however it is a good sanitizer. I imagine he was saying that you're not allowed to "clean" with bleach and must use a soap for that step, but I can't imagine that he'd tell you bleach wasn't allowed for sanitizing.

Most health departments require three seperate steps for food containers and food prep areas: Clean with soap and water. Rinse with fresh water. Sanitize with a disinfectant/sanitizing solution

 

[capt dan]

I thought you like to use bourbon Rich!

Did you feel sanitized on sunday?

 

[richtee]

I did once... :{) And yes..I was pretty germ free Sunday allrighty!

 

[stfron]

FWIW- I was referring to the peroxide :) As far as bleach goes, here in IL- it goes county by county, some like it some don't- go figure.