Some nice basic info on bleach storage & use from Survival Mom


smart bleach storage


Teacher

Excellent information ... nice & concise! Thanks for sharing.

Since the article was talking about water purification, she should've mentioned not using scented or "ultra" bleach.

Why not ultra bleach?

I thought ultra was just a higher concentration?

I could not find any information that ultra is unsafe. Please elaborate on the difference. Thank you

regular Clorox is 6% sodium hypochlorite by volume... you would have different concentrations with the 8 drops per gal recommended dilution... you don't want any scented bleach

Thank you

Actually, turns out I used the wrong label. "Ultra" bleach is normally just sodium hypochlorite (but you should always check the label) although more concentrated than the usual 5-6% concentration, so the dilution will be different than the standard instructions.

What I was thinking of are the thicker, splash-resistant kinds of bleach, like Clorox Advantage. That's what I meant when I wrote "ultra". Like scented bleach, they contain additional ingredients that you probably do not want in your drinking water.

Just a word of caution with bleach:

Bleach is an EXTREMELY dangerous chemical, even at a ~6% solution like common household bleach. One needs to be very careful with it.

Never mix bleach with any other chemicals, especially Ammonia.

If you get bleach in your eyes, immediately flush them with a large amount of water and then seek professional medical care. Bleach is a strong alkali (base) that can actually dissolve eyes tissue to the point of severe and permanent damage.


As part of Bleach storage, I would definitely keep some eye protection and rubber gloves nearby.

Bleach is an acid instead of alkaline. That's why it releases chlorine gas when mixed with ammonia. Strong acids and bases both will damage flesh if you get them on you. Always pour acids into other fluids because the less reactive substance will help quench any splatter or reaction.

Chlorine gas is primarily generated when bleach and an acid are mixed. Dangerous chloramine gas is the risk when mixing bleach with ammonia.

The liquid in a bottle of bleach is strongly alkaline. Manufacturers add a strong base (sodium hydroxide) to bleach to help preserve its shelf life. The higher the pH, the more stable the active ingredients are.