Javex and vinegar

[Mike de Leon]

Just used both to clean my skimmer. I had the skimmer in a plastic tub mixed with 1 part vinegar and one part javex to 10 parts water. Had it running overnight to clean the darn thing. I rinsed it to death today and could not get rid of the smell of the Javex.

Will this give me problems? Thanks in advance...

[vivioo7]

if its ur whole skimmer then maybe but if its just the collection cup then i say no. i say maybe because bleach is supposed to completely evaporate if you let the skimmer dry but if u can smell it then there is some still there, idk if that will be enough to affect the tank though

[Tinysreef]

using the blue dawn dish soap,,, the one with the white seal pup on it...

It was was suggested to me by a local acrylic shop,,, I have done it a few times after cleaning out my tanks with no side affects....

but as always please use your own judgment,,, PS it don't take much.... and as always rinse well and hand dry.

[tkeracer619]

Your not supposed to mix vinegar and bleach unless your cleaning something covered in anthrax (not a joke). The mixture can kill you and is toxic so please do not use this to clean skimmers. Vinegar is all you need.

I would run the skimmer in a tub with some fresh saltwater for a few days until the bleach smell goes away.

[sedor]

+1 just rinse for a day...I didn't know bleach and vinegar was a bad combo, thanks for the heads up!

[Mike de Leon]

Thank you. I did not know that vinegar and javex is highly toxic. I needed the javex in there to get the plastic to clear up again. I hate dirty skimmers. I will try the soap. I did run it for 24 hours in clean water to no avail. Maybe i needed to do it longer. The last thing I need now is a crash after spending so much time to get it to where it is...

[Uncle Salty 05]

Originally Posted by tkeracer619

Your not supposed to mix vinegar and bleach unless your cleaning something covered in anthrax (not a joke). The mixture can kill you and is toxic so please do not use this to clean skimmers. Vinegar is all you need.

I would run the skimmer in a tub with some fresh saltwater for a few days until the bleach smell goes away.

I think it is bleach and ammonia that should not be mixed?

[Uncle Salty 05]

Originally Posted by Uncle Salty 05

I think it is bleach and ammonia that should not be mixed?

Self correction: Both are a bad combo.

Bleach and ammonia are an excellent example. Another example is bleach and vinegar. I know, I know... if you run a search on Google you'll read that vinegar increases the killing power of bleach. Yes, it makes the chemicals more likely to kill you or your kids or your pets. It also helps to kill anthrax spores. If you find yourself in a position to do an emergency decontamination of an item coated with anthrax, by all means, mix the bleach and vinegar. If you just want a sparkling clean bathroom, use a product designed for that purpose. Bleach combines with acids (e.g., vinegar, lemon juice) or certain bases (e.g., ammonia, drain cleaner, urine in the catbox) to release chlorine and chloramine vapors. Realistically, you're probably not going to kill yourself mixing a little bleach and vinegar in a bucket of water (as opposed to mixing them directly). You can get a lethal dose of chlorine by taking a few breaths of it at a concentration of 1 part per thousand in air. You can't gauge the concentration by smell, since most people can smell chlorine at a reasonably safe concentration of 35 parts per million. However, you can get a nasty chemical burn, especially of your eyes and lungs. Mixing these chemicals just seems like an unreasonable risk to take.

[Daniel Reef]

Originally Posted by Uncle Salty 05

Self correction: Both are a bad combo.

Bleach and ammonia are an excellent example. Another example is bleach and vinegar. I know, I know... if you run a search on Google you'll read that vinegar increases the killing power of bleach. Yes, it makes the chemicals more likely to kill you or your kids or your pets. It also helps to kill anthrax spores. If you find yourself in a position to do an emergency decontamination of an item coated with anthrax, by all means, mix the bleach and vinegar. If you just want a sparkling clean bathroom, use a product designed for that purpose. Bleach combines with acids (e.g., vinegar, lemon juice) or certain bases (e.g., ammonia, drain cleaner, urine in the catbox) to release chlorine and chloramine vapors. Realistically, you're probably not going to kill yourself mixing a little bleach and vinegar in a bucket of water (as opposed to mixing them directly). You can get a lethal dose of chlorine by taking a few breaths of it at a concentration of 1 part per thousand in air. You can't gauge the concentration by smell, since most people can smell chlorine at a reasonably safe concentration of 35 parts per million. However, you can get a nasty chemical burn, especially of your eyes and lungs. Mixing these chemicals just seems like an unreasonable risk to take.

I had a relative pass away last year because they made that mistake.

[Mike de Leon]

yikes!