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Bargain Basement

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Re: Bargain Basement

Postby PatsyMFagan » Wed Nov 18, 2020 11:58 pm

But I understand that once it's diluted to the required strength, it needs to be used immediately as it loses it's effectiveness quite soon afterwards (after it has killed all known germs of course ;) )

It doesn't seem very cost effective to have to make up 2.5 L with 1 tablet each time and then have to throw most of it away...At least if you have the liquid bleach you can make up as much (or as little) as you need :?

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Re: Bargain Basement

Postby slimpersoninside » Thu Nov 19, 2020 12:32 am

PLEASE READ MY ETA BELOW

Patsy, can you cut the tablet into quarters and use 1 quarter to make a quarter of the final volume (less if it's possible to cut them smaller)?

Or maybe weigh a tablet, grind it to a powder, work out the weight of powder needed to make 100ml and use it like that?

I have no idea what these tablets are like so neither of these ideas might be feasible.

ETA: Sue has pointed out the danger of grinding these PLEASE IGNORE EVERYTHING I HAVE SAID IN THIS POST!!
Last edited by slimpersoninside on Thu Nov 19, 2020 5:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Bargain Basement

Postby Stokey Sue » Thu Nov 19, 2020 1:09 am

Please don't try to grind them - if the dust gets in your eyes or throat :crying1

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Re: Bargain Basement

Postby jeral » Thu Nov 19, 2020 3:24 am

Ooh no, I wouldn't attempt to grind bleach tablets, no. I think the point is that chlorine bleach evaporates from water(*), therefore if you didn't want to use 2.5 litres, you could decant the rest into two x 1Ltr capped pop bottles. Or, let a tablet dissolve in a glass jug of water, so a concentrate, decant that into a capped bottle, then dilute as you use it. Tippex is good for painting measure marks.

(*) Evaporation of chlorine is why tap water should be left to stand in open air for a day or so before watering house plants.

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Re: Bargain Basement

Postby smitch » Thu Nov 19, 2020 9:54 am

Why would you put bleach into a pop bottle? That could be really dangerous.

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Re: Bargain Basement

Postby Suelle » Thu Nov 19, 2020 10:46 am

Before I could buy bleach spray in the supermarket, after the first panic buying, I diluted enough strong bleach to fill an empty (properly labelled) spray bottle. To my disappointment, after a few hours there was a sediment in the bottom which clogged the nozzle when I tried to use it a second time.

I guess this was probably because I have hard water here, but bleach is meant to dissolve limescale, not cause it, surely?
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Re: Bargain Basement

Postby PatsyMFagan » Thu Nov 19, 2020 11:04 am

I don't think bleach does dissolve limescale, only bleach it so that you can't see it. I have very hard water here and always need limescale remover for the toilet and my dark (granite like) sink and draining board (and that's a nightmare ! :( )

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Re: Bargain Basement

Postby PatsyMFagan » Thu Nov 19, 2020 11:05 am

smitch wrote:Why would you put bleach into a pop bottle? That could be really dangerous.


MY problem would be getting hold of a pop bottle ... not drunk or bought in this household, but safe enough if it's labelled, or kept out of reach of little ones (as we are advised to do with washing tabs )

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Re: Bargain Basement

Postby Badger's Mate » Thu Nov 19, 2020 11:45 am

I don't think bleach does dissolve limescale, only bleach it so that you can't see it. I have very hard water here and always need limescale remover for the toilet and my dark (granite like) sink and draining board


You are right Pat. Presumably everyone in the London Basin and 'East Angular' is in the same boat. I use both for different purposes. It bears repeating that bleach and limescale remover should never be mixed nor used at the same time.

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Re: Bargain Basement

Postby Earthmaiden » Thu Nov 19, 2020 12:12 pm

A lot of the household bleaches (sold as bleach, not loo cleaner) sold in supermarkets these days come saying they remove limescale and presumably have something added. I think that is why a lot of people think that bleach will remove limescale.

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Re: Bargain Basement

Postby Suelle » Thu Nov 19, 2020 12:13 pm

My bottle of Domestos makes claims that are a bit weasly worded - the biggest print says 'prevents limescale', the smaller print says 'for optimal long-lasting protection against limescale use once a day'.

Presumably, if you're brushing the loo once a day limescale doesn't have time to stick, regardless of whether you're using the bleach. :D
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Re: Bargain Basement

Postby Earthmaiden » Thu Nov 19, 2020 12:16 pm

It does here!! The bane of my life.

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Re: Bargain Basement

Postby Badger's Mate » Thu Nov 19, 2020 12:20 pm

Our bottle of thick bleach (Co-Op) doesn't mention the L word at all

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Re: Bargain Basement

Postby Suelle » Thu Nov 19, 2020 12:30 pm

Earthmaiden wrote:It does here!! The bane of my life.


Here too - there's a ridge on the water line than nothing will remove! I thought I just wasn't cleaning thoroughly enough and once it started to build up, that was it. ;)

to make matter worse, my loo isn't white!
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Re: Bargain Basement

Postby Stokey Sue » Thu Nov 19, 2020 1:13 pm

Basic bleach (hypochlorite, eau de Javelle) is actually alkaline as it’s made from sodium hydroxide among other things

To remove limescale you need acid - chemist shops used to sell “spirits of salt” - hydrochloric acid. I don’t recommend this as a home treatment. Harpic used to make a very good concentrated treatment for use as a one off “bomb” but this fell foul of safety regulations some time ago

I found actual limescale remover - Ecover or Viakal or similar was the best way of removing a ring from mine, but it was above the water line so applied neat it had a chance to work

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Re: Bargain Basement

Postby PatsyMFagan » Thu Nov 19, 2020 1:56 pm

If I find a limescale line building up in my toilet, I use the toilet brush to vigorously pummel up and down to push the water through the U bend, leaving the bowl virtually empty. I then dry as much of the enamel with kitchen roll, THEN apply a coat of the heavy duty toilet cleaner that contains limescale remover - this way it's not diluted with water..... leave for as long as I can, then flush the toilet and give it another scrub with the brush.

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Re: Bargain Basement

Postby Earthmaiden » Thu Nov 19, 2020 2:00 pm

I find Harpic tablets very good but agree that the waterline needs extra care.

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Re: Bargain Basement

Postby aero280 » Thu Nov 19, 2020 11:14 pm

I have used some of the intense limescale removers, but, although they are sold for home use, I think that they are too strong and should only be used in very well ventilated spaces. I think it's based on formic acid. The fumes stink!

When I was at work, we used hypochlorite to disinfect water mains, if we did it ourselves. 40 parts/million. The same solution was used to spray down empty service reservoirs after any works or inspection. The big mains were disinfected by a specialist team using chlorine gas... But that ws no good for any descaling. You need acid for that. But, fortunately for us, limescale was mainly a domestic problem.

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Re: Bargain Basement

Postby dennispc » Thu Nov 26, 2020 12:22 pm

Lakeland are offering Black Friday deals on Instant Pot duo and a pricey stick blender.

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Re: Bargain Basement

Postby cherrytree » Thu Nov 26, 2020 6:58 pm

Soon after we moved up to Cumbria from Norfolk, our washing machine went wrong. When the engineer came to sort it out he couldn’t believe what he found. All the pipes were furred up with lime scale. He was so astonished that he got a friend round to have a look. They had never seen limescale build up in their lives. I must say I do love my soft water from the Back o’ Skiddaw.

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