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Author Topic: What's the best cleaner?  (Read 4685 times)

Offline BrewArk

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Re: What's the best cleaner?
« Reply #15 on: April 26, 2011, 03:52:58 pm »
Since metasilicate is the main ingredient of the TSP substitutes in hardware stores, the original post offering TSP and bleach should be sufficient if they are on hand.  I'd support that approach.

Personally I find the cost of PBW to be rather high and Oxiclean does not recommend using their product on food contact surfaces.
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Offline punatic

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Re: What's the best cleaner?
« Reply #16 on: April 26, 2011, 09:14:38 pm »
I'm a fan of sodium hypochlorite for glass and plastic.  Cheap and effective.

For stainless I use iodophor.  Cheap and effective.
« Last Edit: April 26, 2011, 09:18:47 pm by punatic »
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Offline tumarkin

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Re: What's the best cleaner?
« Reply #17 on: April 27, 2011, 04:35:21 am »
I'm a fan of sodium hypochlorite for glass and plastic.  Cheap and effective.

For stainless I use iodophor.  Cheap and effective.

iodophor is a good sanitizer - but not a cleaner. it's a great for sanitizing stainless, not so great for plastic tubing which ends of taking on the color after soaking.
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Offline blatz

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Re: What's the best cleaner?
« Reply #18 on: April 27, 2011, 07:20:33 am »
Since metasilicate is the main ingredient of the TSP substitutes in hardware stores, the original post offering TSP and bleach should be sufficient if they are on hand.  I'd support that approach.


I actually use Oxyclean/TSP Sub 50:50 which is approximately what PBW is, less some surfactants.
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Offline denny

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Re: What's the best cleaner?
« Reply #19 on: April 27, 2011, 09:20:56 am »
Personally I find the cost of PBW to be rather high and Oxiclean does not recommend using their product on food contact surfaces.

I can't imagine why it would be a problem since you rinse it thoroughly.  No doubt a legal thing.  I've been using Oxiclean on brewing equipment for years with no ill effects other than this pesky 3rd arm.
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Offline nateo

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Re: What's the best cleaner?
« Reply #20 on: April 27, 2011, 10:41:08 am »
Personally I find the cost of PBW to be rather high and Oxiclean does not recommend using their product on food contact surfaces.

I can't imagine why it would be a problem since you rinse it thoroughly.  No doubt a legal thing.  I've been using Oxiclean on brewing equipment for years with no ill effects other than this pesky 3rd arm.

Pesky? Sounds like you'd be able to stir the mash and hold a beer at the same time.
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Offline Mark G

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Re: What's the best cleaner?
« Reply #21 on: April 27, 2011, 11:22:58 am »
Since metasilicate is the main ingredient of the TSP substitutes in hardware stores, the original post offering TSP and bleach should be sufficient if they are on hand.  I'd support that approach.


I actually use Oxyclean/TSP Sub 50:50 which is approximately what PBW is, less some surfactants.
I do something similar, but use a ratio of about 65:35 Oxyclean to TSP substitute. PBW works great, but the Oxyclean/TSP sub. mix is a fraction of the cost.
Mark Gres

Offline weithman5

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Re: What's the best cleaner?
« Reply #22 on: April 27, 2011, 11:39:04 am »
with no ill effects other than this pesky 3rd arm.

now if i can get that third leg to grow... 8)
Don AHA member

Offline ajk

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Re: What's the best cleaner?
« Reply #23 on: April 27, 2011, 01:33:49 pm »
Oxiclean will do the same level of cleaning but it lacks the "wetting agent" that PBW utilizes.

Are you talking about a surfactant?  OxiClean has surfactants, but I don't know if they're the same ones or in the same quantities as PBW.

I've more often heard it claimed that OxiClean doesn't have a chelator, leading to inorganic deposits when used with hard water.  I solve that by using it with water run through an ion replacement system ("softener").