# long term storage of sanitation supplies



## Spayth (May 10, 2013)

I thought about storing bleach but learned it has a fairly limited shelf life.. other than good ole bar soap what will keep for a long time and still clean and kill germs when needed


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## timmie (Jan 14, 2012)

Spayth said:


> I thought about storing bleach but learned it has a fairly limited shelf life.. other than good ole bar soap what will keep for a long time and still clean and kill germs when needed


i use vinegar


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

You can get chlorine in powder form as well as liquid. Think swimming pool shock. It'll last just about forever. Mix a little bit at a time for your immediate needs. Store the rest in a cool dry place.


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## FrankW (Mar 10, 2012)

Decontamination tests have shown that for the vast majority of biological agents soap and water was as effective as bleach in water.

I know it sounds counterintutitive but in the real world that is what we found.


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

Rubbing alcohol will last a long time. I don't think hydrogen peroxide will. It tends to break down into water and oxygen. You could check the expiration date on a bottle to be sure.

Something on the shelf life of bleach:

http://chemistry.about.com/b/2013/03/31/chlorine-bleach-shelf-life.htm


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

*Will last a long time .*

The main ingredients are, baking soda, vinegar, honey, calcium hypochlorite for water purification, Borax and lime for the little house on the Prairie.
This sanitation wonders will last a very long time, honey of course a first aid 
wonder.


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## Spayth (May 10, 2013)

Thanks everyone for the info..


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## IlliniWarrior (Nov 30, 2010)

besides keeping Super Pool Shock (70%+ concentrate) for water purification ..... pool shock is almost a necessity for large scale decontamination during a pandemic .... a 1lb sack makes enough bleach solution to handle a small town .... a virulent strain might require the pressure spraying of everything in site


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## Elinor0987 (May 28, 2010)

IlliniWarrior said:


> besides keeping Super Pool Shock (70%+ concentrate) for water purification ..... pool shock is almost a necessity for large scale decontamination during a pandemic .... a 1lb sack makes enough bleach solution to handle a small town .... a virulent strain might require the pressure spraying of everything in site


I know that pool shock with the extra additives like algaecide and fungicides are not to be used for treating drinking water, but could they be used to make a disinfecting solution for surfaces and textiles? I recently ordered pool shock with 73% available chlorine and had to do it online because like many others, super pool shock is hard to find in stores around here. It occurred to me though that the other kind with the additives might be good to have on hand too for disinfecting and at this time of the year it's easy to find.


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## IlliniWarrior (Nov 30, 2010)

Elinor0987 said:


> I know that pool shock with the extra additives like algaecide and fungicides are not to be used for treating drinking water, but could they be used to make a disinfecting solution for surfaces and textiles? I recently ordered pool shock with 73% available chlorine and had to do it online because like many others, super pool shock is hard to find in stores around here. It occurred to me though that the other kind with the additives might be good to have on hand too for disinfecting and at this time of the year it's easy to find.


absolutely right on target .... any of pool supplies will work for a anti-bacterial cleaner .... unless you can get a great deal on some pool shock I'd only stock the one pool shock for all purposes ....

just be REAL careful handling calcium hypochlorite (pool shock) .... it's some dangerous stuff under the right/wrong conditions ....


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

Spayth said:


> I thought about storing bleach but learned it has a fairly limited shelf life.. other than good ole bar soap what will keep for a long time and still clean and kill germs when needed


Municipal water and sewer plants use pressurized cylinders of chlorine to treat water. Should last just about forever, just don't store it close to your living quarters and have a leak. I believe chlorine is one of the key ingredients of Muster gas.

Plus chlorine gas (it's natural state) is very corrosive when in contact with water and is heavier then air. Breath chlorine and it settles into your lungs, moisture from your lung tissues starts the corrosive process, you pass out and fall to the floor where the heaviest contraction of chlorine is.


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## Genevieve (Sep 21, 2009)

This is what I am storing for long term. Of course I only keep the regualr scented type. I found this at walmart in the laundry aisle next to the regular bottled bleach.










One tablet makes on gallon of bleach


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

*sanitizers at home*

Keeping clean or sanitize in a water limited world is not easy but can be had, back in the country my elders use to mix aloe vera with cinnamon, clove, rosemary and eucalyptus essential oils all of this things have antimicrobial properties, and combining them makes the sanitizer more potent against a variety of germs I also think alcohol was added to dilute this concoction. The aloe vera gel is soothing to skin. Vinegar is my top choice here I add a few drops of lavender or lemon essential oil to mask away the strong salad smell but is not bad after a few minutes anyway. In my bathroom I have a spray with alcohol, water and baking soda ,cleans and sanitizes everything ,just like vinegar,water and lavender oil which I used in my cats for flea control. And like in my previous post here Lime or also known as hydrated lime, calcium hydrate, caustic lime or slaked lime, this product can be found at your local feed store and will last a life time if properly stored, will kill anything just like dry bleach.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

It amazes me how little many people know about making safe drinking water.

Good water requires more than one step.

Oh, yes- sure, go ahead and get one of the "Katadyn Hiker Pro" filters - 
but don't bitch when it plugs up because you fed it muddy water.

Water needs to be settled and filtered well BEFORE you begin the treatment process. 
Once you have clean water ready to be filtered, you'd be surprised just how little bleach is needed to "make it safe".

Don't worry about "algaecides" in pool shock - they will be in such small amounts, they won't cause any health effects. 
What you will doing is drinking water made "safe to drink" ....... NOT "swimming pool" water!!

To use granular calcium hypochlorite (Pool shock) to disinfect water.
Add and dissolve one heaping teaspoon of high-test granular calcium hypochlorite (approximately ¼ ounce) for each two gallons of water, or 5 milliliters (approximately 7 grams) per 7.5 liters of water. The mixture will produce a _*stock chlorine solution*_ of approximately 500 milligrams per liter, since the calcium hypochlorite has available chlorine equal to 70 percent of its weight. (this makes a "concentrate")

To disinfect water, add the chlorine *solution* in the ratio of *one part* of chlorine solution to each *100 parts* of water to be treated.

This is roughly equal to adding 1 pint (16 ounces) of *stock* chlorine to each 12.5 gallons of water or (approximately ½ liter to 50 liters of water) to be disinfected. To remove any objectionable chlorine odor, aerate the disinfected water by pouring it back and forth from one clean container to another.

Or simply - - one teaspoon treats about 200-250 gallons or so.


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## talob (Sep 16, 2009)

Genevieve said:


> This is what I am storing for long term. Of course I only keep the regualr scented type. I found this at walmart in the laundry aisle next to the regular bottled bleach.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I'm wondering how this stores long term verses the liquid?


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## IlliniWarrior (Nov 30, 2010)

Genevieve said:


> This is what I am storing for long term. Of course I only keep the regualr scented type. I found this at walmart in the laundry aisle next to the regular bottled bleach.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


just because it makes "bleach" doesn't make it safe for purifying water for potable usage ....

here's the MSDS sheet .... http://www.novabella.com/pdf/EvolveBleach_Tabs_MSDS.pdf

it's nothing but capsulized pool shock - not the correct chems or concentrate recommended ....

keep using at your own risk - wouldn't be recommending it to other preppers as calcium hypochlorite ....

this seems very familiar - haven't we discussed this previously and discounted the usage of these bleach tablets?


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## IlliniWarrior (Nov 30, 2010)

TheLazyL said:


> Municipal water and sewer plants use pressurized cylinders of chlorine to treat water. Should last just about forever, just don't store it close to your living quarters and have a leak. I believe chlorine is one of the key ingredients of Muster gas.
> 
> Plus chlorine gas (it's natural state) is very corrosive when in contact with water and is heavier then air. Breath chlorine and it settles into your lungs, moisture from your lung tissues starts the corrosive process, you pass out and fall to the floor where the heaviest contraction of chlorine is.


I don't think anyone is going to be able to get their hands on bulk industrial chlorine - not any real danger .... but calcium hypochlorite is dangerous enough .... you're talking about killing off half the neighborhood .... chlorine attacks by the Germans in WW1 is how gas warfare first started ....


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## Tactic12 (Dec 16, 2012)

Check out sanitizing solutions at homebrew shops such as StarSan. You mix a small amount of solution in a bucket of water. Stores well & lasts long. I usually make a 5 gallon mix of sanitizer & close it with a lid. Lasts about 3-4 months when sealed, and can easily mix a new batch afterwards.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

*Stone Water Filter*

This post is getting more interesting by the minute, I don`t claim to be an expert I just had a very primitive childhood growing up half the time in a house without power and running water no chemicals nor fancy filters our water came from artisan wells and the river our pipes in the kitchen were made from bamboo but the most interesting thing that I clearly remember was the red cabinet in the kitchen containing the rock water filter draining into a big red clay pot, nothing fancy but clear cool water all the time. Something like on the picture posted here only more modern.


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Pool shock (calcium hypochlorite) is what I store fer one part a my water treatment plan. I keep it in a pvc pipe with caps so it don't corrode everthin in site er get wet. Cal Hypo is what came in the original Civil Defense kits fer water treatment.

Here be a hand little item ta make fer yer bob er anywhere else ya wanna carry some cal hypo:

CPVC Water Purification
The mixture given on the "Grand Pappy site is confusing an requires dry measure devices. I have an easier way the may help. Use a piece of 1/2 CPVC capped at both ends to carry the powdered pool shock. The 1/2 " CPVC cap will hold 1/8 oz of dry pool shock. Adjust the length of the container to fit what you will carry it in.

Depending on where you live the pool shock or Calcium Hypochlorite granules may come in slightly different % and I have seen people question 54% to 68% anything. FOR THIS PURPOSE THE DELUSION USED WILL WORK USING ANY WHERE FORM 50 TO 70%.

Collect a gallon of the untreated water you want to drink. Add 8 cap fulls of the pool shock granules to the gallon. DO NOT DRINK FROM THIS GALLON THIS IS YOUR MIX SOLUTION. Let in sit 30 minutes.

Add 8 CPVC cap fulls of the liquid mix solution to 1 gallon/128 oz of untreated water you will drink. 4 caps for 64oz, 2 caps to 32oz, 1 cap to 16oz.

If it smells or tastes a little like bleach carry and add a small amount of kool-aid or other drink mix to it.

The gallon of mix solution will be good for 1 week, it can just be poured out anywhere.

Read more: http://survivalbunker.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=water&action=display&thread=64#ixzz1vzu72LOe
Although I only make up a two inch version for carry bags. If I want to do bigger I just leave in the bag it came in. Yes very corrosive.

The reason I went to the 1/2 CPVC was because the cpvc 1/2 cap is used as my measure. One cap of pool shock to 1 gallon of stock water, then use the following guide for caps of stock water to drinking water.

1 cap stock to 16 oz
2 caps to 32 oz
4 caps to 64 oz (2 litters)
8 caps to 128 oz (1 gal)

A gallon of stock will make more than enough drinking water for 4 people for a week then just make a new batch.

The CPVC not only makes a good container, but adds the measure.

One thing use cpvc for this not pvc, cpvc is thicker and stronger, plus the 1/2 cap is equal to an 1/8 oz, where the pvc cap is bigger and will throw off the measure.

Some may have thought I meant to say cup where I said cap, but it is the 1/2 cpvc cap I use to measure with.

Store bar soap an learn ta make it to, so ya would want some lye on hand er make it from wood ash an water.

Keep the goods on hand fer makin laundry soap to. Can't have enough fer ever, but be nice ta have fer short term. Bucket an plunger fer a washin machine.

Disposable razors, shavin soap an a brush. Hand hair clippers.

They make a stone (salt I thin) that ya can get on the interweb fer usin as a deodorant.

Toilet paper er phone books. A 5 gallon bucket type toilet. 13 gallon trash bags fer liners and sawdust er cat litter fer a cover. Lime also works good.

Don't ferget woman folk stuff.

Dish soap. I can get the big bottles at dollar general fer a buck. I stock pile it cause why not. Works fer decon to.

PS: Just stick with plain cal hypo, do addatives, that way ya don't use the wrong stuff sometime.
PPS: Keep some chlorine test strips on hand then ya know ya hit the mark. Yer shootin fer 4ppm.


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## Elinor0987 (May 28, 2010)

IlliniWarrior said:


> absolutely right on target .... any of pool supplies will work for a anti-bacterial cleaner .... unless you can get a great deal on some pool shock I'd only stock the one pool shock for all purposes ....
> 
> just be REAL careful handling calcium hypochlorite (pool shock) .... it's some dangerous stuff under the right/wrong conditions ....


Now that I have some of the pool shock I'm able to do a cost comparison. The HTH brand Super Select (on label it says kills bacteria & algae, 56.44% calcium hypochlorite) costs about $17 plus tax for a box of 5 of the 1 pound bags. I can't find the receipt so I don't remember the exact amount but today went out and made it a point to check the label where the product was supposed to go. They've been out of this kind at the store close to where I live and at the store in the next town over they were out of it as well today so I bought HTH Ultra Complete (on label it says 6 in 1 shock treatment, algae and bacteria killing, 56% calcium hypochlorite). It costs $23.97 plus tax for a box of 5 of the 1 pound bags.

This is slightly more expensive than the other one but still a lot less than what I bought exclusively for drinking water treatment. That was the Super Pro Shock (no mention on the website or the bags about algae or bacteria killing, water clarifying, etc.,) with 73% calcium hypochlorite. It costs $37.86 for six of the 1 pound bags. The bags themselves are only $4 each but because the company is in Chicago I got charged a sales tax and there were also shipping charges. I already have a Berkey water filter and some of the replacement filters but wanted to have an extra means to purify water.

Because I was also needing something that would sanitize surfaces and the cost difference between the types of water treatments, I ended up buying both types to save money. The next thing on my to-do list is to learn how to make home made vinegar so that I can use it not only in food but also as a surface disinfectant.


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## bogey (Aug 10, 2015)

Lemon. I'm dehydrating some here and there. The lemon when reconstituted, can be used for cooking, etc. The rind is a potent cleaner. Lemon essential oil or orange for that matter. Lemon, baking soda and vinegar and there's nothing that can't be cleaned. And hot water. Water the universal solvent. But lemon is antibacterial, antiviral, etc. And it smells good. Lifts the mood and makes it "feel" clean.

Also, made some Thieves oil. It is antiviral, antibacterial, etc. Good for hand disinfection. I use in place of alcohol hand sanitizer which just dries your skin making more places for bacteria to hide. The oil softens and moisturizes the skin while kiliing germs. I like it. Would love to have my hands swabbed or check with glow light to objectively test them.


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