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livebetter

Sodium Percarbonate - my new best friend

livebetter
13 years ago

I have been discovering all kinds of ways to use this product outside of the laundry room. It really is truly quite something - it will remove stains I thought were there for good. I found this information on one of my recent Internet searches and thought I would share. Do give some of them a try ... you'll be quite impressed.

Benefits

� No environmental hazards - breaks down to oxygen, water and sodium carbonate (soda ash) in your wash water.

� Color safe and fabric safe. It brightens colors

� Continual use will not cause yellowing or graying of cotton fabric

� Effective stain removal in a broad range of water temperatures

� Lengthens time between linen replacement

� Prevents fabric from becoming yellowed or darkened

� Does not weaken the strength of fabrics like chlorine bleach

� In the laundry Sodium Percarbonate is used to destain, deodorize, and whiten. It is very effective as a laundry presoak for heavily stained articles.

LAUNDRY APPLICATIONS

For light soils add 1ounce of Sodium Percarbonate with your laundry detergent per load. For moderate soils use 2 ounces and for heavily soiled articles use 4 ounces. To whiten and deodorize diapers add 4-6 ounces of Sodium Percarbonate.

In the laundry Sodium Percarbonate is used to destain, deodorize, and whiten. It is very effective as a laundry presoak for heavily stained articles.

For light soils add 1ounce of Sodium Percarbonate with your laundry detergent per load. For moderate soils use 2 ounces and for heavily soiled articles use 4 ounces.

To whiten and deodorize diapers add 4-6 ounces of Sodium Percarbonate into the soak cycle. Soak in hot water for at least 30 minutes, or overnight, then complete wash cycle.

For whitening old linens and yellowed window shears, deodorizing and cleaning tennis shoes, or to get rid of yellow armpit stains on shirts: soak in 2 ounces of Sodium Percarbonate per gallon of water for at least one hour, or overnight, then rinse.

Mixing Solutions Of Sodium Percarbonate

Sodium Percabonate solutions will remain active for 5 to 6 hours, after which they should be discarded. Unused material may be poured down the drain. It will actually help clean and deodorize your disposal or toilet.

Sodium percarbonate solutions are most effective when mixed and used in warm to hot solutions (100 to 150 F).

General Cleaning: Mix 4 fl oz of percarbonate in a gallon of warm or hot water. (1 fl oz per quart).

Heavy Cleaning: Mix 8 fl oz of Percarbonate in a gallon of warm or hot water. (2 fl oz per qaurt)

Soaks: Mix 2 to 8 fl oz Percarbonate in a gallon of hot water.

Paste: Mix 1 to 2 fl ounces of Percarbonate with just enough water to make a paste.

Carpet, Carpet Padding. Couches, Upholstery

To de-stain and deodorize carpet, start by mixing a general cleaning solution. Remove as much of the dirt or liquid as possible. Spray Percarbonate Solution on spot, work into area with a brush and let stand 5-10 minutes. Rinse thoroughly by pouring fresh water over spot, blot up with a clean cloth or towel. Vacuum thoroughly when completely dry. Always test for colorfastness before applying Percarbonate Solution..

Carpet Cleaning Machines

Add 1 fl oz of Percarbonate per gallon of warm water in the solution tank.

Curtains, Sheers.

To de-stain and deodorize curtains/sheers that are yellow, dingy or smoke-stained, mix a soaking solution and allow items to soak 30-60 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with fresh water and let dry.

Wedding Dresses, and Tennis Shoes

For wedding dresses and tennis shoes, use warm water and begin with a light solution of Percarbonate (1 to 2 fl ounces per gallon). Soak 10-20 minutes, rinse thoroughly with fresh water and dry.

Kitchen

For stained plastic ware, dishes, dish rags and dish towels add 1-2 ounces of Sodium Percarbonate to the container to be cleaned or to the dishwater and soak for at least 15 minutes. To keep your drains and disposals clear and smelling fresh add 1 ounce of Sodium Percarbonate in 8 ounces of hot water and allow solution to sit in drain overnight.

Coffee Pots

To de-stain your coffee pot add one ounce of Percarbonate directly into a coffee pot of hot water, soak 10- 15 minutes and rinse thoroughly. To remove build up inside the coffee maker, mix a general cleaning solution into squirt bottle, allow solution to cool completely, then pour into coffee maker. Turn on coffee maker and allow solution to run through machine. Rinse by running cold, fresh water through the cycle.

Refrigerators

To eliminate mold, mildew and other organic stains, mix a general cleaning solution in a squirt bottle and apply with a soft cloth, let stand 10-20 minutes, wipe and rinse thoroughly.

Cutting Boards, Tupperware, and Kitchen Counter Tops

To clean and deodorize your whole kitchen, use a general cleaning solution and apply with a soft cloth, squirt bottle or sprayer, let stand 5-10 minutes and rinse. For extra strong stains, soak item with an extra strong solution for 15-20 minutes, rinse thoroughly.

Bathroom

For septic systems add 4 ounces of Sodium Percarbonate to toilet and flush into the septic system twice a week. For toilets add 3 ounces, wait 15 minutes then scrub. For shower curtains soak in one ounce per gallon of hot water; for mildew stains soak overnight. For bathtub and shower use make a paste with hot water, scrub with a cloth or sponge, wait 15 minutes then rinse or use.

Water Damage Cleanup & Mildew Removal

To remove mold and mildew prior to painting or to clean up water damage, mix a soaking solution, apply to surface, and scrub with a brush or sponge. Let stand 20-30 minutes and rinse thoroughly.

Indoor-Outdoor Carpeting, Fencing, Concrete, Siding, Wood Decks, and Stucco

To remove weathered stains from wood decking, fencing, siding, concrete, and stucco, use a general cleaning solution and apply with a clean lawn sprayer. Let stand 10-30 minutes, scrub if necessary and rinse thoroughly. Or mix a general cleaning solution in a bucket and apply with a broom or brush, then scrub and rinse thoroughly.

Fireplaces & Bricks

Use the general cleaning solution and apply to fireplace or bricks with a scrub brush or broom, allow to stand 10-20 minutes and rinse thoroughly with fresh water. Scrub before rinsing if necessary.

Yard

For deodorizing garbage cans add 1/2 ounce per gallon of water and let soak. For lawn furniture add 2 ounces to hot water, scrub, wait 15 minutes, then rinse. For all weather carpeting add 4 ounces to a gallon of warm water scrub with a stiff broom, wait 20 minutes then rinse.

Household

To destain and deodorize carpets add one ounce of Sodium Percarbonate per gallon of carpet shampoo prior to cleaning. For acoustic tiles add 6 ounces per gallon of hot water, spray on tiles, wait 15 minutes then rinse. For mops add 3 ounces to a gallon of hot water, soak overnight then rinse. For mildew removal or to clean basement floors after water damage from flooding add 4 ounces to a gallon of hot water, scrub surface, wait 30 minutes then rinse. To clean and deodorize cat litter boxes soak them in 3 ounces of Sodium Percarbonate per gallon of water for 20 minutes then rinse. For urine, feces, or vomit stains on carpets or upholstery, add one teaspoon of Sodium Percarbonate to 8 ounces of water, wipe onto stain, wait 10 minutes then rinse.

Camping

To clean and deodorize coolers add 2 ounces of Sodium Percarbonate per gallon of hot water, soak for 20 minutes, then rinse. For boat sails, cushions, ropes, camping gear, tents, tarps, etc. add 4 ounces per gallon of hot water soak for 30 minutes then rinse.

Special Note

Sodium Percarbonate is not suitable for use with silk or wool.

Sodium Percarbonate will not remove rust stains or mineral deposits from hard water.

Here is a link that might be useful: oxygen bleach tips

Comments (14)

  • albert_135   39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago





    Google, Wikipedia, Gardenweb


  • ebear1271
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Isn't that the same as Borax or washing soda? I believe you can also use baking soda for most of those tips. I get a huge bag of it at Costo for a few dollars. It lasts forever and has tons of uses!

  • lindac
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    No....it's like Oxy clean or that old produce Snowy.
    Borax and washing soda are just alkalis...no reducing/bleaching agents at all.
    Linda C

  • livebetter
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Nothing like using borax or baking soda. Sodium percarbonate actually has an oxygen action that removes stains. You can even see it bubble when mixed with water.

    Oxy Clean contains some additional ingredients - not just sodium percarbonate. I use a pure sodium percarbonate.

    I have a white Kholer cast iron kitchen sink and a short soak with SP and it is white again - very little scrubbing. Also, the white rack in the bottom of the sink is clean - usually hard to do.

    Gets my coffee pot clear and sparkling. I cleaned an old Royal Crown Derby teapot from the 20's with it and it turned out snow white (like new).

    I have several stories of how this stuff has whitened and removed stains so well.

    I used it to clean toilets this weekend and they turned out very nice - white and clean. I mixed with hot water before I poured in the toilet and then left it for a while before swishing the brush around.

  • ebear1271
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Took a look at the website and it seems pretty pricey. 2 pounds of sodium percarbonate for $25.50! Think I'll stick with baking soda or Oxyclean!

  • ebear1271
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oddly enough, there is a thread on this subject going on in the Laundry Room forum! Someone left a link to a website that is much cheaper than the one listed here. If you prefer to use the sodium percarbonate, then I would check out this site.

    http://www.sodiumpercarbonate.net/

    P.S. Before anyone gets their feathers in a ruffle, this is not spam, though I'm not too sure about the link in the first post. Like I said, I found it in the Laundry Room forum and it's MUCH cheaper!

  • livebetter
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I actually didn't realize the link I posted was for a site selling sodium percarbonate. I was really more interested in the tips for using it.

    As I mentioned, OxyClean contains additional ingredients (not that that is bad). It is not a pure form and you would need to use more to get the same result.

    You can stick with baking soda but it's not the same thing. No one suggested you change; I was merely posting some cleaning information that I have found valuable for me.

    I knew there was a discussion in laundry but the point of this thread was to illustrate that the product has MANY uses outside of the laundry room.

  • jannie
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    a few years ago I was very pleased. I bought a bucket of OxyClean at my local dollar store. Unfortunately, I bought only one and my bucket is now empty. My cousin Joyce collects old linens and swears by this stuff.

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I was doing some research on this Oxiclean product that livebetter suggests and found this interesting link for OxyBoost which is similar but without the added ingredients and supposedly less money. It had a FAQ that did answer some questions for me.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Interesting article about Sodium Percarbonate

  • livebetter
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Firstly, I did not recommend OxyClean (nor would I do so). I have never used it and cannot comment on it. I have used PURE sodium percarbonate purchased under the brands (Ecover and BioVert).

    PM2, the fact that this article refers to sodium carbonate as baking powder (more than once) shows the lack of understanding (and fact checking) by its author.

    Sodium carbonate is washing soda (or soda ash) - DIFFERENT than baking powder (sodium bicarbonate).

    There is also a difference in using liquid hydrogen peroxide and dry sodium percarbonate. I think further investigation by PM2 would be in order. This article contains inaccuracies.

    While hydrogen peroxide solutions have the advantage over powdered products of being sold ready to use, powdered bleaches are easier to handle, have better storage stability and do not need any added chemicals to enhance stability. Powder versions also contain higher percentages of hydrogen peroxide (liquid versions are a high percentage of water).

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ok, thanks for pointing out that error. Yes, I think I am in too much of a hurry to make changes to the products I'm using and probably would be better off to read up on it more. I have two books reserved at the library so that will give me a better foundation for figuring all this out. Plus one at home on my shelf. Now to just put the time aside to do it. [g]

  • nerdyshopper
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I use a lot of OxyClean. I get the big tubs at Costco. My main gripe about it is that the box/bag has very poor resealing ability. As the stuff ages, it attracts moisture and clumps badly. I need a rubber glove if I am going to try to break up clumps, because the stuff is very caustic and hurts the skin. Also, it is hard to use in my front loader when I am using liquid detergent. Can't put it in the soap dispenser. Can't put in the bleach dispenser, and I am afraid to put it directly on the clothes because the machine adds so little water during washing.

  • livebetter
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    nerdyshopper, you should know that sodium percarbonate degrades with moisture. So if you're breaking up clumps of it, it probably isn't working to its full ability. It should be kept in a sealed container.

    This would also apply to any powdered detergents that use sodium percarbonate as a whitening agent. I kept a box of Persil Megaperls Universal open in my basement laundry and it was ruined (it became moist and clumpy).

    I buy the Ecover or BioVert pure form and keep it in a glass jar with lid or plastic screw top container. It stays fresh.

    I soaked about 25 tea towels for several hours yesterday and all but one came out bright, white, with no stains.

  • andersons21
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The packaging of OxiClean sold at Costco changed from a large plastic bucket to a bag in a box. The new packaging is better for keeping costs down and probably better environmentally (less space for transportation, smaller amount of cardboard to recycle rather than larger amount of plastic).

    But you need to put it in your own airtight container and do your best to keep it from absorbing moisture. I scoop it out, then reseal my plastic bucket before letting any hot water run in the sink or washer.

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