sanitizing plastic rubbemaid containers

On Mon, 03 Sep 2007 12:09:35 -0500, Omelet <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Well, we ARE cleaning counter tops that routinely come into contact with
biohazards/body fluids. ;-)

10% is supposed to kill viruses on contact.
Our main concerns are Hepatitis and HIV.

Yeah, I see where that 10% figure is right from a link from another
poster. Here at home, I use a spray bottle with water and I just pour
some bleach in it without measuring it. From the smell of my last
batch, I probably approached a 10% ratio. LOL So far, it hasn't
bleached the color out my counter top, but it may be fading a bit. 🙂

--
Zilbandy

Zilbandy said:

Boron Elgar said:

In this case, her lab figures are not incorrect. You might want to
google a bit before you disagree. I have found several sites that
recommend what she said.

http://www.hoslink.com/sterilisation.htm
# Chlorine Compounds: Sodium hypochlorite solution 1 (liquid bleach)
100-10,000 ppm (.01-1%) free chlorine
# 10-60 minutes (>= 3,000 ppm for broad spectrum)

It then explains:
a 1/10 dilution of 5.25% bleach provides 5,25ppm available chlorine...

...that is the midrange of their ppm recommendations

Wow, I guess that's the difference between sanitizing and sterilizing.
I think you meant to type 5,250ppm, though. 🙂

Yup...I had backspaced over some cut and pasted material trying to get
it sensible. Only made it worse.

Boron

In article <[email hidden]>,

Steve Wertz said:

Quoted message said:

Steve Wertz said:

On Mon, 03 Sep 2007 04:49:34 -0500, Omelet wrote:
> Geeze people! Just answer the question!
> If you don't know, leave it be!

Somebody needs a nappy-poo.

I agree with her. She knew I must have a reason to ask.

Almost all plastic food containers are porous. If you think you
may need to bleach them then they're probably trash.

Vinegar would be the better solution, if you insist.

-sw

Vinegar is actually not a bad idea, but it is more expensive.

If you rinse bleached containers really well, there is not much bleach
odor left and that evaporates in a few hours.

My co-worker and I make fresh brewed Iced Tea every night at work and we
have those large insulated mugs to serve it in.

After a few days, those containers start to get tea stained all brown
and ugly inside of them. We both use 10% bleach to get the stains out
and rinse, then leaving our cups in our lockers over night totally gets
rid of any bleach smell.

Sodium hypochlorite evaporates. It's why they keep having to add
chlorine to swimming pools regularly instead of just having to do it
once per season.
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a [censored]" -- Jack Nicholson

In article <[email hidden]>,

JoeSpareBedroom said:

"Goomba38" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

They are used containres but because they are small, I have stored cut
lime/lemon in them.

So? Do you not wash them between uses? Did you let the lime and lemon
spoil and then *also* fail to wash the container before reuse?
Seriously... there is NO logic in what you're saying.

It's an epidemic, Goomba.

I lived with a woman who also could not manage cause & effect. She'd
overstuff the washing machine, and then use twice as much detergent because
she figured the extra clothing needed it. Of course, the stuff never rinsed
well. Then, she'd iron some of it with the iron temp set too high. The iron
would get a tacky deposit on it almost weekly, but she refused to believe it
had anything to do with her methods.

We ended up with separate irons, which was fine since I showed her the door
shortly thereafter.

You and Goomba should get married...
You are two of a kind. ;-)
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a [censored]" -- Jack Nicholson

"Omelet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

JoeSpareBedroom said:

"Goomba38" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

[email hidden] wrote:

> They are used containres but because they are small, I have stored cut
> lime/lemon in them.

So? Do you not wash them between uses? Did you let the lime and lemon
spoil and then *also* fail to wash the container before reuse?
Seriously... there is NO logic in what you're saying.

It's an epidemic, Goomba.

I lived with a woman who also could not manage cause & effect. She'd
overstuff the washing machine, and then use twice as much detergent
because
she figured the extra clothing needed it. Of course, the stuff never
rinsed
well. Then, she'd iron some of it with the iron temp set too high. The
iron
would get a tacky deposit on it almost weekly, but she refused to believe
it
had anything to do with her methods.

We ended up with separate irons, which was fine since I showed her the
door
shortly thereafter.

You and Goomba should get married...
You are two of a kind. ;-)
--
Peace, Om

What would you have done? Cleaned the iron daily?

This should be an interesting sub-thread. I can't wait.

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Sep 2, 11:04 pm, -bwg <[email hidden]> wrote:

Thanks a lot. I needed to do that because I remmeber how the
coconut milk I transfeered form the can to the container got spoiled
so fast. I think it is because I have a habit of storing lime and
lemons and soem times onion in those small containers.

I don't think sanitizing is going to take care of that problem. You
probably need a new container for the coconut milk that has never had any
kind of acidic food in it. I'd get some of the small Glad or Ziploc
containers.

Ms P

Quoted message said:

JSB is just being hateful as usual.

JSB is kill-filed. From whjat I've seen Om usually posts useful
stuff. JSB posts rudeness.

Quoted message said:

I may be wrong from time to time, but JSB
is an [censored], and I can be taught. ;-)
He'll never change.

<hugs>!

Can I get a <hug> too? :^)

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

=============================>
Bass Home Electronics
941-925-8650
4883 Fallcrest Circle
Sarasota · Florida · 34233
http://www.bassburglaralarms.com
=============================>

Quoted message said:

10% is supposed to kill viruses on contact.
Our main concerns are Hepatitis and HIV.

Hi Om,

I'm curious. Do you work in a hospital or a medical lab?

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

=============================>
Bass Home Electronics
941-925-8650
4883 Fallcrest Circle
Sarasota · Florida · 34233
http://www.bassburglaralarms.com
=============================>

Zilbandy said:

On Mon, 03 Sep 2007 11:23:18 -0400, Boron Elgar

Quoted message said:

In this case, her lab figures are not incorrect. You might want to
google a bit before you disagree. I have found several sites that
recommend what she said.

Quoted message said:

http://www.hoslink.com/sterilisation.htm
# Chlorine Compounds: Sodium hypochlorite solution 1 (liquid bleach)
100-10,000 ppm (.01-1%) free chlorine
# 10-60 minutes (>= 3,000 ppm for broad spectrum)

Quoted message said:

It then explains:
a 1/10 dilution of 5.25% bleach provides 5,25ppm available chlorine...

Quoted message said:

...that is the midrange of their ppm recommendations

Wow, I guess that's the difference between sanitizing and sterilizing.
I think you meant to type 5,250ppm, though. 🙂

With that comma she did type 5,250ppm... couldn't be more obvious a
typo.

Sheldon

Quoted message said:

cybercat said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

What ratio of water and bleach do I need to use to sanitize these
containers?
I am planning to suse very small containers - I have square ones and
3 round ones - to store sauce (mostly Asian sauces like that are less
than half the bottle like) so that I can take them with me to my new
place where I will be sharing the frige with a roommate.

What makes you think they need "sanitizing?"

I have used these small containers for storing lime/lemon. One time, I
put cocnut milk out of the can - whatever was not sued and it got
spoiled ..fast.

What?!?

"Omelet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Steve Wertz said:

Omelet said:

Geeze people! Just answer the question!
If you don't know, leave it be!

Somebody needs a nappy-poo.

-sw

Just woke up from one.

If I lived with a new room mate with unknown sanitary habits, I'd want
to bleach too. ;-)

What if you lived with Jerry Sauk?
--
Peace, Om

I'd kill myself. In the slowest and most painful manner possible. Just to
punish myself for ever even considering him as a roommate. Of course, I'd
kill him first. But I would still need to be punished. On the principle of
the matter.

"Omelet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Sodium hypochlorite evaporates. It's why they keep having to add
chlorine to swimming pools regularly instead of just having to do it
once per season.
--
Peace, Om

More importantly than evaporation, which can be controlled through the
addition of cyanuric acid or through the use of stabilized sanitizers,
chlorine is consumed by the introduction of contaminants to the pool water,
primarily swimmers. Hence the need for a regular ongoing sanitizing
program. And just for FYI, if a pool smells like it has too much chlorine
in it, 99 times out of 100, there ain't enough!

Sheldon said:

With that comma she did type 5,250ppm... couldn't be more obvious a
typo.

I thought some European countries used the comma as we use the period
and vice versa... 15,234.56 for the US would be written 15.234,56 for
them. Any body out there that uses this non US system?

--
Zilbandy

[email hidden] wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

enigma said:

[email hidden] wrote
innews:[email hidden]
m:

Quoted message said:

What ratio of water and bleach do I need to use to
sanitize these containers?

the standard ratio for sanitizing is a 10% bleach solution
(so, one 10th cup bleach to one cup of water).

Quoted message said:

I am planning to suse very small containers - I have
square ones and
3 round ones - to store sauce (mostly Asian sauces like
that are less than half the bottle like) so that I can
take them with me to my new place where I will be
sharing the frige with a roommate.

are these new or used containers?

They are used containres but because they are small, I have
stored cut lime/lemon in them.

ok. and this affects future use somehow? don't you wash them
after you use the citrus?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

just washing & rinsing in
(near)boiling water should sanitize them sufficently for
normal use.

I am just being careful so that what I put will not spoil.
I really want to have them with me though I haven't been
suing much cus I haven't been eating typical Asian mean
except for once a week or so.

sauces & condiments have a finite shelf life even in the
original containers. if the small containers are clean, as in
washed & rinsed in hot water, then sanitizing in a 10% bleach
solution isn't going to make enough difference to bother.
lee

Zilbandy <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Boron Elgar said:

The CDC instructions were for "emergency" use...likely not
as stringent as a lab might require.

bwg posted a link that basically uses the same
concentrations for
food equipment sanitizing. See this link from bwg:
<http://osuextra.okstate.edu/pdfs/FAPC-116web.pdf>

Now, I could believe a 1% solution of standard unscented
household bleach, but still doubt Om's 10% solution claim.

we used 10% bleach solution in both the dairy & meat cutting
lab in college. it is the standard disinfecting solution. why
do you doubt it?
lee

On Tue, 4 Sep 2007 12:56:49 +0000 (UTC), enigma <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

we used 10% bleach solution in both the dairy & meat cutting
lab in college. it is the standard disinfecting solution. why
do you doubt it?

I believe it now. My earlier research, ie a half dozen of the top
Google entries indicated that food equipment was sanitized with much
smaller concentrations. After exploring a few links posted by others,
I see that 10% is used, although it may be overkill in restaurants and
for general household uses.

--
Zilbandy

Zilbandy said:

Sheldon said:

With that comma she did type 5,250ppm... couldn't be more obvious a
typo.

I thought some European countries used the comma as we use the period
and vice versa... 15,234.56 for the US would be written 15.234,56 for
them. Any body out there that uses this non US system?

In Germany they use the comma

In article <WZ3Di.15654$453.11778@trndny02>,

Paco's Tacos said:

"Omelet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Steve Wertz said:

On Mon, 03 Sep 2007 04:49:34 -0500, Omelet wrote:

> Geeze people! Just answer the question!
> If you don't know, leave it be!

Somebody needs a nappy-poo.

-sw

Just woke up from one.

If I lived with a new room mate with unknown sanitary habits, I'd want
to bleach too. ;-)

What if you lived with Jerry Sauk?
--
Peace, Om

I'd kill myself. In the slowest and most painful manner possible. Just to
punish myself for ever even considering him as a roommate. Of course, I'd
kill him first. But I would still need to be punished. On the principle of
the matter.

College Dorm assignments are random.
You'd be entitled to a quick death as you'd not be at fault.

Fun group BTW. Thanks for crossposting.<G>
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a [censored]" -- Jack Nicholson

In article <o74Di.3449$Ov2.3332@trndny06>,

Paco's Tacos said:

"Omelet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Sodium hypochlorite evaporates. It's why they keep having to add
chlorine to swimming pools regularly instead of just having to do it
once per season.
--
Peace, Om

More importantly than evaporation, which can be controlled through the
addition of cyanuric acid or through the use of stabilized sanitizers,
chlorine is consumed by the introduction of contaminants to the pool water,
primarily swimmers. Hence the need for a regular ongoing sanitizing
program. And just for FYI, if a pool smells like it has too much chlorine
in it, 99 times out of 100, there ain't enough!

You are probably right... ;-)

I'll swim in the San Marcos river thanks.

I am close to the origin which comes directly out of (clean) underground
springs.

If the coliform count hits a certain level during drought, they post
signs.
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a [censored]" -- Jack Nicholson

In article <[email hidden]>,

enigma said:

[email hidden] wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

enigma said:

[email hidden] wrote
innews:[email hidden]
m:

> What ratio of water and bleach do I need to use to
> sanitize these containers?

the standard ratio for sanitizing is a 10% bleach solution
(so, one 10th cup bleach to one cup of water).

> I am planning to suse very small containers - I have
> square ones and
> 3 round ones - to store sauce (mostly Asian sauces like
> that are less than half the bottle like) so that I can
> take them with me to my new place where I will be
> sharing the frige with a roommate.

are these new or used containers?

They are used containres but because they are small, I have
stored cut lime/lemon in them.

ok. and this affects future use somehow? don't you wash them
after you use the citrus?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

just washing & rinsing in
(near)boiling water should sanitize them sufficently for
normal use.

I am just being careful so that what I put will not spoil.
I really want to have them with me though I haven't been
suing much cus I haven't been eating typical Asian mean
except for once a week or so.

sauces & condiments have a finite shelf life even in the
original containers. if the small containers are clean, as in
washed & rinsed in hot water, then sanitizing in a 10% bleach
solution isn't going to make enough difference to bother.
lee

Personally, I'd FREEZE unused coconut milk.
It should not affect the flavor.
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a [censored]" -- Jack Nicholson