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#1
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Bleach vs. Tilex
To clean the grout in my shower I can use Tilex - and it works... it's
just that the sprayers they use are ususlly poor, and I don't like paying for Tilex when it smells like plain old bearch (which costs FAR less). What's the difference between bleach and tilex, anyhow? Can I just dilute beach and put it in the Tilex spray bottle for the same effect? |
#2
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Steve Henderson wrote:
To clean the grout in my shower I can use Tilex - and it works... it's just that the sprayers they use are ususlly poor, and I don't like paying for Tilex when it smells like plain old bearch (which costs FAR less). What's the difference between bleach and tilex, anyhow? Can I just dilute beach and put it in the Tilex spray bottle for the same effect? Read on the label of each. IIRC, Tilex is just about the same strength as normal bleach. Why would you want to dilute it? |
#3
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Steve Henderson wrote in
: To clean the grout in my shower I can use Tilex - and it works... it's just that the sprayers they use are ususlly poor, Why not just buy a good spray bottle and transfer the Tilex? and I don't like paying for Tilex when it smells like plain old bearch (which costs FAR less). I think your nose needs a tuneup. To me, they don't smell even remotely close to each other. What's the difference between bleach and tilex, anyhow? Bleach: Sodium hypochlorite Tilex: Tetrapotassium EDTA + 2-butoxyethanol + lauryldimethylamine oxide Can I just dilute beach and put it in the Tilex spray bottle for the same effect? Not in my experience -- I have found Tilex to be much better than beach (for soap scum). |
#4
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Steve Henderson wrote in
: To clean the grout in my shower I can use Tilex - and it works... it's just that the sprayers they use are ususlly poor, and I don't like paying for Tilex when it smells like plain old bearch (which costs FAR less). What's the difference between bleach and tilex, anyhow? Can I just dilute beach and put it in the Tilex spray bottle for the same effect? I put bleach in my empty Tilex sprayer,and the sprayer wears out;the spring corrodes and the trigger does not return on it's own. IMO,the bleach works better,and definitely cheaper. -- Jim Yanik jyanik-at-kua.net |
#5
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On Sun, 19 Dec 2004 08:39:29 -0500, "Bell"
wrote: Steve Henderson wrote: To clean the grout in my shower I can use Tilex - and it works... it's just that the sprayers they use are ususlly poor, and I don't like paying for Tilex when it smells like plain old bearch (which costs FAR less). What's the difference between bleach and tilex, anyhow? Can I just dilute beach and put it in the Tilex spray bottle for the same effect? Read on the label of each. IIRC, Tilex is just about the same strength as normal bleach. Why would you want to dilute it? Look everyone. Its BellBoy again. You still wanna "BiteMe"? Bubba |
#6
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Steve Henderson wrote:
To clean the grout in my shower I can use Tilex - and it works... it's just that the sprayers they use are ususlly poor, and I don't like paying for Tilex when it smells like plain old bearch (which costs FAR less). What's the difference between bleach and tilex, anyhow? Can I just dilute beach and put it in the Tilex spray bottle for the same effect? I have used the "Once a Day" shower spray for more than a year. Actually, I only use it once or twice a week, but it works well. It is not a bleach. |
#7
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What's the difference between bleach and tilex, anyhow?
10-15 bucks |
#8
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There are a couple kinds of Tilex. The shower spray is not the same as the
original cleaner which is nothing but bleach and scent. I have never found a sprayer that puts up with bleach very long, even some pretty expensive ones. |
#9
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I've found this as well. Just remove the spray head & pump some water
through it to flush out the bleach before putting it away. Dan Jim Yanik wrote: Steve Henderson wrote in : To clean the grout in my shower I can use Tilex - and it works... it's just that the sprayers they use are ususlly poor, and I don't like paying for Tilex when it smells like plain old bearch (which costs FAR less). What's the difference between bleach and tilex, anyhow? Can I just dilute beach and put it in the Tilex spray bottle for the same effect? I put bleach in my empty Tilex sprayer,and the sprayer wears out;the spring corrodes and the trigger does not return on it's own. IMO,the bleach works better,and definitely cheaper. |
#10
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"Greg" wrote in message ... There are a couple kinds of Tilex. The shower spray is not the same as the original cleaner which is nothing but bleach and scent. I have never found a sprayer that puts up with bleach very long, even some pretty expensive ones. You prepare a fresh solution and rinse out the sprayer after each use. |
#11
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On Sun, 19 Dec 2004 05:08:53 -0600, Steve Henderson
wrote: To clean the grout in my shower I can use Tilex - and it works... it's just that the sprayers they use are ususlly poor, and I don't like paying for Tilex when it smells like plain old bearch (which costs FAR less). What's the difference between bleach and tilex, anyhow? Can I just dilute beach and put it in the Tilex spray bottle for the same effect? If the Tilex spray bottles are poor, why would you want to put bleach in them? Buy a good pair of chemical gloves, the long kind that go up to the mid forearm, and use a bucket, bleach water and a rag. Rinse with cool water. |
#12
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If the Tilex spray bottles are poor, why would you want to put bleach
in them? You buy a new bottle of Tylex, refill with bleach until it breaks ... repeat. |
#13
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Greg wrote in message ... If the Tilex spray bottles are poor, why would you want to put bleach in them? You buy a new bottle of Tylex, refill with bleach until it breaks ... repeat. ======== Clorox® makes a number of disinfecting sprays which contain common bleach (plus scent). Why not buy 1 container and when it is empty, refilling with the most inexpensive bleach that you can purchase? We've done this and the containers and spray mechanisms last an extremely long time. You also now have your home-brewed mixture in an appopriately labeled container, which is a big safety issue. I recommend unscented bleach - you really don't want to fool you noise when breathing the fumes. As others have said, this is not for soap scum removal - just for the disinfecting typically performed by bleach products. Now if you are doing a very large disinfecting job such as killing mold on the side of a building, then buy the appropriate sprayer for the end of a garden hose (Clorox® makes this item also) and purchase "bleach" in bulk by getting swimming pool "shock" treatment (Calcium Hypochlorite). Just mix the hypochlorite with water to a ratio which is approximately equal to the ratio for the product that you are duplicating. Obviously, you must observe appropriate bleach safety. If you are ignoring the nasty smell of the fumes, then you are probably damaging your nasal passages and your lungs. Also, remember that after it dries, bleach is still bleach. When the dried bleach get moistened again, then it "reactivates" and behaves as bleach once again - burning skin, changing the colors of fabrics, etc. Finally, be extremely careful to avoid using other cleaning products in conjuction with bleach solutions. Careless mixing can produce gases such as chlorine, chloramine and phosgene. |
#14
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In alt.home.repair on Mon, 20 Dec 2004 03:11:29 GMT "Gideon"
posted: Greg wrote in message ... If the Tilex spray bottles are poor, why would you want to put bleach in them? You buy a new bottle of Tylex, refill with bleach until it breaks ... repeat. ======== Clorox® makes a number of disinfecting sprays which contain common bleach (plus scent). Why not buy 1 container and when it is empty, refilling with the most inexpensive bleach that you can purchase? We've done this and the containers and spray mechanisms last an extremely long time. You also now have your home-brewed mixture in an appopriately labeled container, which is a big safety issue. I agree with you. When I lived near a college, a girl came down to see me one day and said she had swallowed bleach and could I help her. I looked in both of my poison booklets and neither mentioned bleach. I called the poison control hotline and her book didn't mention bleach either. She had to ask the doctor about it. He said there was no problem**. But years later a chemist friend Xeroxed a page that went over the dangers of drinking bleach. (I guess the difference was that the girl in my building drank very little.) One of her roommates had put bleach in a milk carton (possibly an opaque milk carton). Another came home and found it on the kitchen table and put it in the refrigerator. The third came home, took it out of the refrigerator, and drank some, thinking it was milk. (Skim milk isn't very white. It's more like white and clear. Maybe that helped to confuse her.) I mark my sprayers "Poison" when they contain poison, even though I live alone. (Although I didn't mark the sprayer that contained 409, and now I don't know which it is!) I recommend unscented bleach - you really don't want to fool you noise when breathing the fumes. Good point. BTW, I left a zip-lock bag with a leaking Epson color printer Blue cartridge in it on the floor of my bathroom. Now some of the grout is blue. Should I use a cleaner first? bleach first? Will they just spread the stain and make it go deeper? Should I use a screwdriver to scrape away the top half millimeter of grout first? Any advice? As others have said, this is not for soap scum removal - just for the disinfecting typically performed by bleach products. Now if you are doing a very large disinfecting job such as killing mold on the side of a building, then buy the appropriate sprayer for the end of a garden hose (Clorox® makes this item also) and purchase "bleach" in bulk by getting swimming pool "shock" treatment (Calcium Hypochlorite). Just mix the hypochlorite with water to a ratio which is approximately equal to the ratio for the product that you are duplicating. BTW, I've mentioned this before I think, but some brands of bleach these days contain Sodium Hyposulfite, not Hypochorite. I have a guess why but I'm not sure. I don't know the difference in effectiveness, but to kill the moss on my fence, I went to the trouble to find hypochlorite. Where I put on enough, it did a good job. Obviously, you must observe appropriate bleach safety. If you are ignoring the nasty smell of the fumes, then you are probably damaging your nasal passages and your lungs. Also, remember that after it dries, bleach is still bleach. When the dried bleach get moistened again, then it "reactivates" and behaves as bleach once again - burning skin, changing the colors of fabrics, etc. Finally, be extremely careful to avoid using other cleaning products in conjuction with bleach solutions. Careless mixing can produce gases such as chlorine, chloramine and phosgene. Shades of WWI. Do any of you remember Sen. Everett Dirkson? The reason he talked so funny is that he was gassed in WWI. Meirman If emailing, please let me know whether or not you are posting the same letter. Change domain to erols.com, if necessary. |
#15
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snip
Should I use a screwdriver to scrape away the top half millimeter of grout first? A grout saw will be easier to use and will do a better job. Shades of WWI. Do any of you remember Sen. Everett Dirkson? The reason he talked so funny is that he was gassed in WWI. But that was mustard gas, not bleach fumes. |
#16
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1) The stories of accidents from using the "wrong" container for a
dangerous chemical are numerous. From my own experiences, we had a neighbor who couldn't swallow pieces of food much larger than a pea because when she was a child she drank a lye solution that was stored in a pop bottle. Personally, as a high school student I stored battery acid in a rubbing alcohol container in the basement. My father ran out of the rubbing alcohol that he splashed on his face after shaving and he went to the basement and found my bottle. Fortunately, this didn't cause any permanent problems but it certainly woke him up. He vented a tremendous amount of anger in my direction. 2) Regarding you grout which is now stained blue: I would suggest experimenting with some bleach, which is a better starting point than scraping with a screwdriver. Follow the standard advice to experiment first with just a drop or two of bleach on one part of the stain to see what color you will get after the bleach has oxidized the stain. You can get a variety of colors ranging from white to yellow to orange depending upon the particular chemicals which are being bleached. You may also experiment with a mild water-based abrasive such as Soft Scrub®. Some versions of these products have a bit of bleach already in them, but you may want to boost it by using the Soft Scrub® in conjunction with regular bleach. If that doesn't work, I'd suggest using fine sandpaper rather than a screwdriver to remove some of the grout. Good luck. ====================== meirman wrote in message ... In alt.home.repair on Mon, 20 Dec 2004 03:11:29 GMT "Gideon" posted: Greg wrote in message ... If the Tilex spray bottles are poor, why would you want to put bleach in them? You buy a new bottle of Tylex, refill with bleach until it breaks ... repeat. ======== Clorox® makes a number of disinfecting sprays which contain common bleach (plus scent). Why not buy 1 container and when it is empty, refilling with the most inexpensive bleach that you can purchase? We've done this and the containers and spray mechanisms last an extremely long time. You also now have your home-brewed mixture in an appopriately labeled container, which is a big safety issue. I agree with you. When I lived near a college, a girl came down to see me one day and said she had swallowed bleach and could I help her. I looked in both of my poison booklets and neither mentioned bleach. I called the poison control hotline and her book didn't mention bleach either. She had to ask the doctor about it. He said there was no problem**. But years later a chemist friend Xeroxed a page that went over the dangers of drinking bleach. (I guess the difference was that the girl in my building drank very little.) One of her roommates had put bleach in a milk carton (possibly an opaque milk carton). Another came home and found it on the kitchen table and put it in the refrigerator. The third came home, took it out of the refrigerator, and drank some, thinking it was milk. (Skim milk isn't very white. It's more like white and clear. Maybe that helped to confuse her.) I mark my sprayers "Poison" when they contain poison, even though I live alone. (Although I didn't mark the sprayer that contained 409, and now I don't know which it is!) I recommend unscented bleach - you really don't want to fool you noise when breathing the fumes. Good point. BTW, I left a zip-lock bag with a leaking Epson color printer Blue cartridge in it on the floor of my bathroom. Now some of the grout is blue. Should I use a cleaner first? bleach first? Will they just spread the stain and make it go deeper? Should I use a screwdriver to scrape away the top half millimeter of grout first? Any advice? As others have said, this is not for soap scum removal - just for the disinfecting typically performed by bleach products. Now if you are doing a very large disinfecting job such as killing mold on the side of a building, then buy the appropriate sprayer for the end of a garden hose (Clorox® makes this item also) and purchase "bleach" in bulk by getting swimming pool "shock" treatment (Calcium Hypochlorite). Just mix the hypochlorite with water to a ratio which is approximately equal to the ratio for the product that you are duplicating. BTW, I've mentioned this before I think, but some brands of bleach these days contain Sodium Hyposulfite, not Hypochorite. I have a guess why but I'm not sure. I don't know the difference in effectiveness, but to kill the moss on my fence, I went to the trouble to find hypochlorite. Where I put on enough, it did a good job. Obviously, you must observe appropriate bleach safety. If you are ignoring the nasty smell of the fumes, then you are probably damaging your nasal passages and your lungs. Also, remember that after it dries, bleach is still bleach. When the dried bleach get moistened again, then it "reactivates" and behaves as bleach once again - burning skin, changing the colors of fabrics, etc. Finally, be extremely careful to avoid using other cleaning products in conjuction with bleach solutions. Careless mixing can produce gases such as chlorine, chloramine and phosgene. Shades of WWI. Do any of you remember Sen. Everett Dirkson? The reason he talked so funny is that he was gassed in WWI. Meirman If emailing, please let me know whether or not you are posting the same letter. Change domain to erols.com, if necessary. |
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