New improved Stardrops all-purpose cleaner mix

Stephen_Leak

Someone I know has had major surgery and has to really keep domestic surfaces, especially in the toilet and bathroom, scrupulously clean. She wasn't convinced of the anti-bacterial properties of the white vinegar in the current MSE OS all-purpose cleaner mix of Stardrops, white vinegar and water.

So, I've mixed up a batch of equal parts of Stardrops, cheap (31p a litre) supermarket disinfectant, white vinegar and water.

Yes, I know the potential dangers of mixing domestic chemicals. I took all reasonable precautions. It hasn't given off any corrosive or poisonous gas. It hasn't eaten it's way through the plastic sprayer bottle. It hasn't evolved into a new life form - at least not yet.

And it works just as well at cleaning basins, baths, showers, sinks, tiles, toilet seats, windows, work surfaces, etc. as the old one. Again, one squirt usually does the job.

And my friend is now assured of its germ killing capabilities.

BitterAndTwisted

How did you prove that your very useful cleaning-concoction has the germ-killing properties you have assured them of? Petri-dishes and agar? Got a science-lab in the shed?

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

I'd have added bleach to stardrops, personally. No vinegar necessary.

Kevie192

What are the usual proportions of stardrops, vinegar and water? I've used just sd and water before but I think vinegar would make it even better.

patchwork_cat

Seriously mixing cleaners is very risky, but definately NEVER mix bleach with any other cleaner. Chlorine gas can be released. For nay sayers here is a link http://www.chemistryinyourcupboard.org/harpic/5

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

patchwork_cat wrote: »

Seriously mixing cleaners is very risky, but definately NEVER mix bleach with any other cleaner. Chlorine gas can be released. For nay sayers here is a link http://www.chemistryinyourcupboard.org/harpic/5

Soap is OK.

squeaky

patchwork_cat wrote: »

Seriously mixing cleaners is very risky, but definately NEVER mix bleach with any other cleaner. Chlorine gas can be released. For nay sayers here is a link http://www.chemistryinyourcupboard.org/harpic/5

NASTY stuff chlorine. It was used as a poison gas in World War One...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poison_gas_in_World_War_I

patchwork_cat

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

Soap is OK.

My brother has a chemistry degree and he would not mess with mixing household cleaners. So with all due respect, despite knowing that you are an authority on all things science and medical, I wouldn't mess. We are not talking straight soap here, but a chemical cleaning agent.

STARDROPS contains the following ingredients:-
Water (Aqua)
Sodium dodecylbenzene sulphonate
Alkyl ether sulphate
Alcohols C9-11 ethoxylated
Bitrex (Denatonium benzoate) solution
Perfume
Limonene (Dipentene)
Bronopol (2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol)

Colour

As you can see not a simple soap.

patchwork_cat

A good reason not to mix chemicals that are seemingly innocuous I bleieve that an ingredient used by people committing chemical suicide is head and shoulders! http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/crime/palm-beach-county-teens-used-household-cleaner-to-1405223.html?printArticle=y - read this - still want to mess and mix cleaners?

If you have a chemistry degree and can be bothered to analyse all ingredients of the two products you are mixing then by all means mix your cleaners, if you don't then just don't mix them as you don't know what you are doing.

Stephen_Leak

OK. I expected this. We had all this when Kethry originally came up with the Stardrops, vinegar and water mix. None of the ingredients contain chlorine compounds (like bleach), and neither does disinfectant. It was only because my friend, with a particular need for scrupulous domestic hygiene wasn't convinced about just using vinegar. And my researches couldn't find any evidence to support the claims made for it and allay her concerns either. Being acidic, it may have some anti-bacterial properties, but not enough for her particular purpose.

If what I've done isn't good enough for you, then I respect your right to choose not to try it yourself.

I can only assure you that it didn't fizz or smell of chlorine when I mixed them together. I did a risk assessment beforehand, and concluded that I was probably going to die horribly. I've just had a sniff of it and it still doesn't ... <thud> .