New Clorox Bleach Products

[neptuneguy27]

I am not sure if this has posted yet or not but, has anyone seen these new bleach products? I was at the grocery store this afternoon and spied them as I walked down the detergent isle. Being a sucker for a new gimmick, I had to buy both the crystals as well as the tablets. I don't have anything to wash that requires bleach just yet, but I can't wait to try them out. I have included two pictures of the products and one of the ingredients. Anyone out there tried them yet?

 

[frigilux]

I don't recall seeing these new products in stores, but I haven't been looking specifically for them, either.

More information is available at the Clorox website. Scroll over 'Products' and look for them under the column heading 'Our Latest Innovations.' They are not registered for disinfection, so I probably won't use them, but they look convenient and easier to use than liquid Clorox.

 

Try this: Click on 'Bleach Packs' and one of the choices (along with FAQ, How To Use, etc.) is called "What's In It Anyway?" Click on that and it leads nowhere, then the 'What's In It..' choice disappears from the list.  I'm using an iMac and Safari. Does the same thing happen for you?

Being a fan of pods/pacs, I noticed they recommend tossing the pod into the washer about five minutes after the wash cycle begins to give detergent enzymes time to do their job. Clorox must buffer the chemical somehow, or a dissolving pod would probably eat holes in fabrics.

At any rate, thanks for the heads-up on these new Clorox formats. Let us know how they perform.

http://https//www.clorox.com/products/clorox-control-bleach-packs/

 

[joe_in_philly]

I saw them a couple weeks ago at Target. Since they did not have disinfection information, I decided not to get them, but I am curious if they do a good job of whitening.

 

[neptuneguy27]

What's in it Anyway

Hi Eugene,

I followed your link and saw the "What's in it anyway" and before I could even click on it, the link just disappeared. I guess they don't want us to know what's in it, lol.

I am going to wash my white cloth shower liner today and I'll give one of two products a try. What might be a bit of a no go for me using the pods is if I have to add them 5 mins after the cycle begins. If I am using hot water and the temp gets to 130F as it is filling(which it typically does on a small load), the washer will lock the door and will not unlock it until the water cools down.

But I'll report back later today on how they worked.

Chris

 

[mamapinky]

Frig, the clorox pods get tossed in 5 minutes into wash cycle...correct me if I'm wrong but don't laundry enzymes take around 20 minutes to reach full potential? Thank you. Cheryl

 

[frigilux]

Cheryl--- Seems Clorox hasn't altered their recommendation for when to add bleach since the 8 to 14-minute wash cycles of traditional top-loaders. I'd think tossing it in 10-15 minutes into the wash tumble of a new front-loader would be more like it. And even then, as you pointed out, you're probably neutering the all-important enzymes in a high-quality modern detergent.

I find myself using the Normal cycle on the Frigidaire for most loads, these days. It opts to an 18-minute wash tumble. The wash is 24 minutes at the Max Soil setting. Choosing the Allergy option (available on the Heavy and Bulky cycles) extends the wash time to around 38 minutes, with the water heated to approximately 125 degrees.

The Sanitize cycle, which I use for loads of heavily-stained kitchen whites, sports a 70-minute tumble with water heated to 151 degrees.

And, of course, the door locks at some point during the wash tumble, so you'd have to add the bleach pack prior to that. If the water inside is over 130 degrees, the door won't unlock unless you cancel the cycle or wait for the temp to drop.

In summation: As much as I like detergent pods/pacs, I'll pass on Clorox's bleach pack. Most front-loaders add bleach during the first rinse, which is where it belongs. I also want the disinfection qualities of liquid chlorine bleach that the packs and crystals don't provide.

 

[jerrod6]

I think most modern day washers dispense liquid chlorine bleach into the first rinse... not the wash.  I think this ingredient is some type of slow release chlorine type of thing so perhaps it doesn't get active until the rinse or near the end of the wash...although wash times will vary with machines and cycles, but with today's enzyme detergents you don't want chlorine mixed in with it at least not at first because it will kill the enzyme action.

 

 

 

[neptuneguy27]

Tried the Crystals

And they worked well. I washed the cloth shower liner which was getting soap and mineral build up on it. Placed the crystals in the drum as instructed and added a 1/2 dose of Fresh Start. Cycle was Whitest Whites, Hot wash/Cold rinse, wash time was 10 mins. Once the water hit the crystals you could smell the old familiar Clorox smell. I think the crystals & pods would be good for just removing simple stains. If you are dealing with complex or multiple stains which require profile washing with enzymes, then liquid Clorox added to the machines timed dispenser (or added manually at the correct time) would be a better solution. I really don't use Clorox much for laundry anymore. Typically, Persil or Tide w/Bleach powder along with a cold or warm soak/pre-wash followed by a Sanitary cycle does great job.

However, I do see these two products useful for other cleaning tasks around the house.

Chris

 

[askolover]

pool cleaner

I think this is the same stuff in my pool chlorine tablets.
I couldn't use it because my door locks immediately as the water level comes up onto the glass. I'll just stick with plain old Clorox.

Here's a tidbit about the chemical from Wikipedia

http://https//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_dichloroisocyanurate

 

[washman]

PODS are evil

 

[frigilux]

Au contraire, Patronus Absolutus! Pods are .

 

[washman]

Give it up Frig

We all know you went to sleep one night. Then you woke up...........changed. And the laundry world has not been the same since.

 

[launderess]

Calcium hypochlorite

Along with its variations are indeed the same "dry" chlorine bleach found in pool disinfecting chemicals. You also find it in scouring powders like Comet, Ajax and others "with bleach". Commercial laundries have long used dry chlorine bleach for several reasons ranging from longer shelf life/stability than liquid to being a bit more powerful.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_hypochlorite

Various brands have long sold dry chlorine bleach in vend box sizes for sale/use in laundromats.

For a chlorine based product to have an EPA registry number and thus provide disinfection it must contain a certain percentage of that chemical. Clorox and other brands have long weakened their bottled liquid bleaches so that not all products are disinfectants. Most consumers either are ignorant of this and or just do not care. You often have to search through several shelves of chlorine bleaches at a supermarket to find one that is an EPA registered disinfectant.

My theory is Clorox and others have weakened their chlorine bleaches to lessen the aggressive nature. Milder chlorine bleach will still whiten and remove stains, but perhaps not at the expense of destroying fabric and or totally ruining all colors.

Lack of an EPA number may also mean the bleach product does not have the chlorine power to deal with mold and mildew. In both cases the control of mold/mildew and disinfecting if that is what is wanted best to read the label/directions. If the container makes no mention of either function then another choice may prove wiser.

Have seen both these bleach pods and crystals for some time now but am not interested.

For one do not need nor use chlorine bleach with my laundry. Both my Miele and Oko-Lavamat are capable of boil or near wash temperatures. Laundering at or near 200F with a good dose of oxygen bleach is all one requires.

Second would be *VERY* leary of using either in a front loader or any machine where undiluted product stands a remote chance of coming into contact with washing.

 

[frigilux]

Thanks for the info, Launderess. I stick with classic Clorox, having noticed a few years ago that many LCBs no longer mentioned disinfection. If I'm going to have LCB on the shelf, I want it full strength in case of unexpected problems with tap water---pollution due to water plant malfunction or flood, for instance---or using it to quickly and completely disinfect sinks, toilets, etc.

You've mentioned your aversion to the scent of LCB, but I find it comforting, probably because my mom used it when I was growing up. A bit of the scent would waft through the house as soon as the Kenmore pumped hot wash water into the laundry tub for suds-saving.

 

[launderess]

Liquid Chlorine Bleach

Has a definite shelf life before it starts to degrade. Unless one is a very heavy user of the stuff it is perhaps best to purchase small amounts and use promptly.

Also when shopping reach for the bottles at the *back* of the shelves. When restocking staff move old product forward and place new in the back. So the fresher stuff is often found in the rear. If bottles look as if they have been around awhile maybe take a pass or find another source.

You can purchase dry chlorine bleach in bulk from many sources. As previously stated if kept in cool and dry place it will easily last a long time. Much longer than a bottle of the liquid stuff.