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 hypochlorite <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
On edit:
Thanks for the technical correction Yard dog!

[RowdyRay]

Good info Rich. Ok, the hydrogen peroxide is better for the enviroment, but is it any easier on the hands?

[Richtee]

Much... It still has bleaching properties, but no where near as hard on the skin.

[HawgHeaven]

Much... It still has bleaching properties, but no where near as hard on the skin.

Yeah, don't get it near any hair that you care about...

Thanks for the post, very informative!

[jbchoice1]

it makes a good mouthwash too... doesn't taste too good, but it works on the ol pearly whites

[Capt Dan]

very interesting. I did not know that. I wonder what the ruling on that would be on the comp circuit.

[desertlites]

is a staple in this home for Many uses.

[SmokinLee]

I remember as a kid with strep throat, gargling with it. Nasty tasting stuff. There is a food grade peroxide which is ingested. Plus I read it is injected as a cancer tratment, but not in this country. I had said on another post, my dad buys these tablets, sorta like a big alkaseltzer from gordons food service with are sanitizing tablets, 1 tablet per gallon of water. I have some here.

[Richtee]

very interesting. I did not know that. I wonder what the ruling on that would be on the comp circuit.

I have a feeling you'd prolly have to bring documentation, unless a decently qualified <read intelligent> health dep't official was in charge. The iodine based sanitizers are not too bad on ya either, and have less envrionmental impact than the chlorine ones.

[bbally]

Bleach is excellent, though it does have some problems. Not really environmental because of its rapid decay rate. Dumping straight bleach would cause a problem, but using it at the proper food safety ratio of 1 Tablespoon to one (USA) gallon of water the effect is gone in four hours at room temperature. Want it to go away faster, heat the water up. Above 105 F a one (USA) gallon bleach solution has no affect after 10 minutes. Best mixed at 90 F.

The Oxy cleaners (Hydrogen Peroxide is one of them) are really great. However they have a lifetime longer than bleach. So the environmental impact can be construed as greater. That said, they also break down in about 10 hours to nothing.

Instead of wikipedia (Which is almost wrong at best) use what we use in the professional world. Look up the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) to find out the true story on your chemicals. It is usually an eye opener for some people. They think if it is sold in a store it is relatively safe... not so....

MSDS can be had online, from the manufacturer, or have to be provided by the store selling the product. It is a federal law.

MSDS Oxypure NSF approved for all food location

Hydrogen Peroxide at the 20 percent to 60 percent level MSDS

Clorox bleach MSDS, common bleach

[morkdach]

thanks for this thread & link to post these type of ?'s hyd. perox. is a staple at this place.

[Bassman]

Rich, aside from the sanitizing qualities of peroxide, I sympathize with you about the cracked hands. Mine used to get so bad in the winter, they would bleed. I ran across a hand lotion/cream that really work.

http://okeeffescompany.com/working_hands.html

If you can find this, by all means, get some. If not, let me know and I'll get you some here.

[curious aardvark]

Be careful if ordering large quantities of hydrogen peroxide. It's one of the ingredients in acetone peroxide - currently the favourite blowing up stuff of the muslim extremists.
Most countries have flags in place for anyone ordering peroxide against usual trends.

Fortunately acetone peroxide is notorious for blowing up when being made, keep terrorists down :-)
Just be careful if you do order it.
Acetone is also a great cleaning agent, strips grease like you wouldn't believe :-)
But best not to order both together.
Not necessarily a food safety tip - but definitely a safety tip :-)

[Richtee]

Acetone is also a great cleaning agent, strips grease like you wouldn't believe

Heh- and plastic, paint, all wood finishes... Organic solvents like acetone near BBQ pits can cause trouble too... And it's not a "sanitizing agent" in the context of this thread...

[curious aardvark]

lol so you're saying
lol got to be a first time eh ;-).

Okay what about alcogel ? the stuff they use in hospitals.
Would that be an alternative to bleach for wiping down surfaces.
I'm never convinced that bleach isn't going to contaminate the food used on the surfaces afterwards. Alcohol based agents pretty much get round that problem.
And as for the cracked skin - how come you're not using gloves ?
I mean: bleach - skin. I'd be wearing gloves.