DQOTD: Disinfect Bleach v Alcohol?

[Midpack]

A local activity center has reopened and they’re advocating spraying down equipment (kayaks, boats, etc.) before use with a dilute bleach spray they’re providing. While I’m sure that’s effective, I assume it will damage clothing. I’d like to wipe down with full strength rubbing alcohol instead so our clothes won’t be damaged - we’d provide the alcohol and rags. I assume they’re recommending bleach because it’s cheaper. What am I missing?

 

[capjak]

If you use 70% IPA than that is a good substitute. IPA is highly flammable/explosive and probably more restrictive for company to store. A diluted bleach solution is much cheaper and easier to obtain and handle.

 

[Rustic23]

I made a 5 to 1 solution of Clorox to water. Sprayed it on a colored Microfiber towel. I could se no change in the color of path towel.

 

[Amethyst]

They may not be able to get isopropyl alcohol in any quantity. I can buy all the bleach I want, and am starting to see hydrogen peroxide for sale again, but isopropyl alcohol continues to be elusive.

 

[Midpack]

I made a 5 to 1 solution of Clorox to water. Sprayed it on a colored Microfiber towel. I could se no change in the color of path towel.

Interesting. IIRC microfiber is synthetic and it wouldn’t surprise me if bleach, especially dilute, doesn’t harm synthetics. Most of our clothing is not synthetic. BUT maybe we could use the dilute bleach and make a point of wearing only synthetics and be OK? Thanks.

Gagliardi says to never use bleach when washing spandex, wool, silk, mohair or leather; regardless of their color, bleach will ruin them.

As for colored fabrics, some are colorfast to bleach; it depends on what dye was used to color the fabric and how it was applied.

Solution-dyed fibers, including acrylic, nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene and high-energy polyester, exhibit strong colorfastness when exposed to bleach. Almost all cotton whites and most synthetic whites are safe to wash in liquid bleach.

 

[braumeister]

If you use 70% IPA than that is a good substitute.

Most of the IPAs I'm familiar with are only around 6-8% so that's some mighty strong beer you've got there, pardner!

 

[cbo111]

Just remember, as I recently rediscovered, incidental contact of the bleach solution on clothing and shoes is immediate and permanent. I got some nice splotches on a nice pair of shorts and polo shirt.

 

[Midpack]

Just remember, as I recently rediscovered, incidental contact of the bleach solution on clothing and shoes is immediate and permanent. I got some nice splotches on a nice pair of shorts and polo shirt.

Yes. We’ve had the same happen with Soft Scrub with Bleach, ruined some nice boating clothes, never mind straight bleach. I assume Soft Scrub with Bleach is pretty dilute, one of the reasons I’m concerned. But it appears I can use alcohol instead, or be VERY mindful of what we wear if we use the supplied dilute bleach solution.

 

[Gumby]

Yes. We’ve had the same happen with Soft Scrub with Bleach, ruined some nice boating clothes, never mind straight bleach. I assume Soft Scrub with Bleach is pretty dilute, one of the reasons I’m concerned. But it appears I can use alcohol instead, or be VERY mindful of what we wear if we use the supplied dilute bleach solution.

You could just keep some old clothes for that specific purpose. I have a box of old, stained and frayed t-shirts and shorts just to wear to the garden, so I don't have to care what happens to them while I'm there. I also only wear my oldest worn out sneakers when I go.

 

[savory]

I might check out acid based sanitizers which are used in the brewing industry/food processing. Here is a link that you can research https://fivestarchemicals.com/star-san-1-gal. I use it at home for stainless steel, plastic and rubber as part of the brewing sanitation process.

I am not sure how much metal is included in your cleaning but bleach damages stainless steel. That is one key reason acid cleaners are used in food processing. Taste transfer is another concern.

Having said all this, you need to double check that acid sanitizers will not damage the materials you are cleaning. It will be more expensive than bleach.

 

[pacergal]

I would imagine they want everyone to use the same sanitizing solution as a way of controlling a clean environment in their store/equipment. Or it could be required as part of their re opening to the public.
If it were me, and that important to go there for outdoor activity, I would just pick out some of my oldest clothing and not worry about it. Then Keep those clothes just for that purpose.

 

[YakGrl]

I would expect spraying a diluted bleach solution on plastic kayaks and paddles in outside sun would quickly evaporate most of the solution. If you wait for a few minutes it would probably be fairly safe to use, though you may try to bring a towel to place on the seat. Or a quick wipe down with a damp cloth after the sanitization has finished.

 

[davebarnes]

Most of the IPAs I'm familiar with are only around 6-8% so that's some mighty strong beer you've got there, pardner!

+1

But, then there is this.
BrewDog Sink the Bismarck
IIPA DIPA - Imperial / Double IPA
41.0%

 

[Midpack]

You could just keep some old clothes for that specific purpose.

If it were me, and that important to go there for outdoor activity, I would just pick out some of my oldest clothing and not worry about it. Then Keep those clothes just for that purpose.

I have specialized clothing I like to wear, but that's probably a good idea. I hate to deliberately look a little ratty, but it might be the best course. Another new normal...

 

[Jerry1]

You could do both. Put on something you don’t care about over your specialized clothing until you’re all sanitized and dried off. That’s what I do when going to the gym. My workout cloths are thin so I just wear them under my jeans and a shirt. Changing at the gym just involves shedding my outer cloths.

 

[Sunset]

After the first time of spraying our groceries with bleach in the kitchen sink, wiping them, letting them sit a minute, and washing off the bleach with water.
I have learned to do it in my underwear as no matter how careful I was with the bleach spray, it marked my clothes.

Why doesn't the activity center spray down the kayaks, they could have a separate area and use a garden sprayer , then hose off the kayaks.

 

[Midpack]

After the first time of spraying our groceries with bleach in the kitchen sink, wiping them, letting them sit a minute, and washing off the bleach with water.
I have learned to do it in my underwear as no matter how careful I was with the bleach spray, it marked my clothes.

Why doesn't the activity center spray down the kayaks, they could have a separate area and use a garden sprayer , then hose off the kayaks.

• Because all the employees are furloughed, so it's self serve. They just emailed out instructions for members to follow starting tomorrow.
• I for one don't trust what others did/not do when they last used the kayak, they'll be long gone anyway. If I don't see the disinfecting done, at any business including restaurants, I assume it didn't happen.

YMMV

Oh, and TMI re: your underwear.

 

[LOL!]

Probably too many smokers around the isopropyl alcohol to make it reasonably safe. People won't even know they are on fire since in sunlight the flames cannot be seen.

Many places banned alcohol stoves when backpacking for this reason including the entire state of California.

 

[Winemaker]

After the first time of spraying our groceries with bleach in the kitchen sink, wiping them, letting them sit a minute, and washing off the bleach with water.
I have learned to do it in my underwear as no matter how careful I was with the bleach spray, it marked my clothes.

Why doesn't the activity center spray down the kayaks, they could have a separate area and use a garden sprayer , then hose off the kayaks.

Bleach is a hazmat chemical; and if used improperly, is worse than getting the corona virus, and screwing up water supply systems down stream in your storm water drain. At least in your house sewage line, it has a chance to react with all the other $hit people put in their drains.

 

[Sunset]

Bleach is a hazmat chemical; and if used improperly, is worse than getting the corona virus, and screwing up water supply systems down stream in your storm water drain. At least in your house sewage line, it has a chance to react with all the other $hit people put in their drains.

So the Kayak place wants the users to do it, rather than train someone to do it in some special place they could set up for that purpose

 

[Winemaker]

Tell the Kayak place to buy a kiddie pool, fill it with soapy Pine-sol water, and stick one end of the kayak in, rotate it around, then flip ends and repeat. Soapy water kills Corona viruses, and is reusable for awhile. Sodium hypochloride solutions are just overkill, and when used wrong, cause damage. Hell, it turns colored organic things white! And it is forbidden in wineries!

 

[Bongleur]

Might not be allowed to pollute the waterway with various disinfectants like pine sol or even soap -- unless its qualified somehow as biodegradable. There are "camping" soaps.

I have not read anything that says chlorine solutions need less than 10 minutes wet contact time to kill any virus. And the solution will degrade, so how often to they make it up fresh?

Alcohol, in strong enough solution, will kill it in 60 seconds, maybe 30, of wet contact time.

Might be more concerned with fecal coliforms around the seat & fungus around the feet...

All the standard "disinfection" formulas are based on a worst case of a mix of pathogens; have not found much info specifically for any virus, let alone this one.

 

[Midpack]

So the Kayak place wants the users to do it, rather than train someone to do it in some special place they could set up for that purpose

They don't "want users to do it." As I noted earlier - all employees are furloughed including the center director. They are working without pay, part time only as needed - I'm surprised they're willing to do anything. The Board is all unpaid volunteers, always has been. They reopened, at the request of many members once allowed by state guidance, with the understanding members would have to do almost everything for themselves. The "kayak place" has already lost about 25% of members, and their summer youth and adult training class revenue will be almost nil. Like many businesses they're between a rock and hard place just trying to keep the businesses from failing. What seems like easy solutions pre-SARS-CoV-2 aren't practical for many businesses. And it's still an open question that some businesses trying to reopen will face lawsuits from customers who become infected, some may even die. Not so easy.

Tell the Kayak place to buy a kiddie pool, fill it with soapy Pine-sol water, and stick one end of the kayak in, rotate it around, then flip ends and repeat. Soapy water kills Corona viruses, and is reusable for awhile. Sodium hypochloride solutions are just overkill, and when used wrong, cause damage. Hell, it turns colored organic things white! And it is forbidden in wineries!

That would be some kiddie pool to fit a 14 foot kayak, SUP or canoe. Our forecast is for rain every day this week, I can only imagine what that kiddie pool would do overflowing from rain, with no one around - again, there are no employees.

Spray bottles and pump sprayers of 5-10% bleach solution make more sense to me. Definitely cheaper and easier to refill sprayers and bottles with bleach solution than to maintain a soapy kiddie pool. I could see members skipping the kiddie pool, more likely they'd use the bleach solution as it's just much easier. Members are not handling bleach directly, only the solutions, and it's a minimal amount coming out of a sprayer. We sprayed down the boat, waited a couple minutes, and then sponged it off with water - took less than 5 minutes. Seems reasonably safe to me, damage is really not an issue.

People use bleach at home for laundry and cleaning every day. Fortunately bleach has very good warning properties (noxious) that usually prevent people from using more than they need. And most of that goes down drains from homes every day.