My bleach evaporated

[Scott Smith]

So I don't have a ton of free time to fix grills and often end up with misadventures. I read on the forum about using bleach to clean up disgusting plastic grill parts like handles and knobs, so I decided to give it a try with a whole bunch of parts.

I found a container big enough to hold a lid handle and poured like a gallon of pool bleach in there and I was in business. I used some kitchen tongs to fish most of the parts out, but for whatever reason, I left one grill handle in the solution for months. When I saw it this weekend, the bleach had transformed into interesting crystals all over the container and my handle.

A little internet research turned up that bleach is simply a solution of sodium hypochlorite and water. When the water evaporates, the crystals left behind are the sodium hypochlorite solids - a salt.

To be on the safe side, I will rinse everything down with lots of fresh water before I go touching stuff.

 

[DanHoo]

I'll bet most of the chlorine gas evaporated. before the water evaporated. A good rinse is all that is needed. The powder left behind may be caustic being a mix of salt and cblorate.

 

[Brett-EDH]

I'll bet most of the chlorine gas evaporated. before the water evaporated. A good rinse is all that is needed. The powder left behind may be caustic being a mix of salt and cblorate.

Yeah, don’t be adding ammonia to that. You’ll wind up in the hospital.

 

[JSaus]

You know that pool shock is something like 12-13 times as concentrated as laundry bleach.

Edit. Correction--Only granular, not liquid.

 

[DanHoo]

You know that pool shock is something like 12-13 times as concentrated as laundry bleach.

I don't think this is accurate. Liquid pool chlorine is roughly twice as strong as Clorox.

I believe liquid pool chlorine is 12.5% max, and often 10% and Clorox is around 6%

edit: I'm not including granular calcium hypochlorite or tri-chlor in my comments.

IMO calcium hypochlorite is dangerous and I would not use it for anything outside of swimming pool sanitation

 

[JSaus]

I don't think this is accurate. Liquid pool chlorine is roughly twice as strong as Clorox.

I believe liquid pool chlorine is 12.5% max, and often 10% and Clorox is around 6%

edit: I'm not including granular calcium hypochlorite or tri-chlor in my comments.

IMO calcium hypochlorite is dangerous and I would not use it for anything outside of swimming pool sanitation

I believe you are right. When I had a pool, I always used granular shock and I believe they are in the 60% range. Guess the liquid is a lot less. Thanks

 

[Bruce]

I use the pool liquid stuff for cleaning up my grill parts. It is about the same price as clorox as well. I think under $5 a gallon is what I got it for at Menards. I do cut it with some water sometimes though.

 

[Scott Smith]

I'm no chemist, but I know from experience that granular pool crystals will produce a fireball when mixed with brake fluid.

 

[Bruce]

Note to self: Keep pool crystals out from under the hood of my truck.