Can you store bleach in a refrigerator? Short answer: Not a good idea.

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Muse

Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
39,899
9,595
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I'm not seeing this recommended but not seeing it contraindicated. They say 50-70F. Bleach, they say, is originally 6% sodium hypochlorite, is configured differently when manufactured in winter than summer because they target 20% deterioration/year. It turns to salt eventually.

I opened a gallon of bleach last week and it had no chlorine smell, was useless. Didn't know about the deterioration over time.

Now, I'm wondering if the fact they don't say 40-70F has to do with the danger. Myself, I live alone, nobody but me opens my fridge. I use the stuff very very slowly, only a few drops at a time, usually, never in laundry. If it would keep, I could make a cup of bleach last probably over a year. Can I keep a quart of bleach in the fridge and would it extend the shelf life?
 
Captante

Captante

Lifer
Oct 20, 2003
30,337
10,854
136
You CAN .... but .... dare I ask why? :p


Shelf life of Chlorine bleach


"How to Maximize Bleach Shelf Life
The factors that affect bleach shelf life are temperature, exposure to light, the presence of contaminants like metals, the pH of the solution, and the initial hypochlorite concentration. Knowing this, here are the steps to take to maximize bleach shelf life:

  • Store bleach at room temperature and not in a place where it will experience freezing or hot conditions. Usually, this means bleach should be stored indoors rather than a garage or storage shed. Be sure to store it away from access by children or pets.
  • Keep the bleach in its original container. This container is opaque, so it minimizes any reaction with light. Using the original container also minimizes the risk of contamination.
  • Keep the cap tightly sealed on the container."

~ Ripped from sciencenotes.org
 
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Muse

Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
39,899
9,595
136
Yeah, I'd read the Science Notes treatment. But they don't address my question.

Reason is simply that I don't want to be in the position I'm in (out of bleach). I sometimes don't go to a store that sells bleach for, well, months! If I could keep it in the fridge for 5+ years, I'd do that.
 
Meghan54

Meghan54

Lifer
Oct 18, 2009
11,684
5,225
136
Captante said:
You CAN .... but .... dare I ask why? :p


Shelf life of Chlorine bleach


"How to Maximize Bleach Shelf Life
The factors that affect bleach shelf life are temperature, exposure to light, the presence of contaminants like metals, the pH of the solution, and the initial hypochlorite concentration. Knowing this, here are the steps to take to maximize bleach shelf life:

  • Store bleach at room temperature and not in a place where it will experience freezing or hot conditions. Usually, this means bleach should be stored indoors rather than a garage or storage shed. Be sure to store it away from access by children or pets.
  • Keep the bleach in its original container. This container is opaque, so it minimizes any reaction with light. Using the original container also minimizes the risk of contamination.
  • Keep the cap tightly sealed on the container."

~ Ripped from sciencenotes.org
Click to expand...

Really. A 43 oz bottle of no-name bleach is under $2. I’d imagine a16 oz bottle would be even cheaper, so why worry?
 
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dullard

dullard

Elite Member
May 21, 2001
25,756
4,278
126
You'll destroy your fridge doing that. Trace amounts of bleach vapors will escape and they will corrode any metal nearby. It won't happen immediately, but over a few years, you'll eventually find your fridge rusted inside out.
Muse said:
I sometimes don't go to a store that sells bleach for, well, months! If I could keep it in the fridge for 5+ years, I'd do that.
Click to expand...
Do they deliver items in your area?
 
Red Squirrel

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
69,677
13,314
126
www.betteroff.ca
Never even considered the fact that bleach can go bad. Does it?

I have a bottle here that came with the house, I rarely use it. It must be at least 15 years old if more lol.
 
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lxskllr

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
59,060
9,443
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Aside from buying smaller quantities, maybe you could use a different chemical altogether. You could also look into making your own from powder. It might have the same limitations premix, but it'd be worth looking into.
 
Muse

Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
39,899
9,595
136
lxskllr said:
Aside from buying smaller quantities, maybe you could use a different chemical altogether. You could also look into making your own from powder. It might have the same limitations premix, but it'd be worth looking into.
Click to expand...
Powder, really? Just mix with water, instant bleach???

Truly, I figure I'd never buy a gallon again having found out how quick it goes bad, even 1/2 gallon. I figure a quart is probably the smallest size they sell.
 
Muse

Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
39,899
9,595
136
dullard said:
You'll destroy your fridge doing that. Trace amounts of bleach vapors will escape and they will corrode any metal nearby. It won't happen immediately, but over a few years, you'll eventually find your fridge rusted inside out.

Do they deliver items in your area?
Click to expand...
Well, I have Amazon Prime, but kind of doubt they'd deliver bleach. I'd just pick up some at the market, but I don't go often except to Costco and Trader Joe's these days and they wouldn't carry bleach.

Thanks for that info on destroying my fridge, that's the clincher. I'll just keep it in a cupboard, low in one of my coolest downstairs rooms. Or else do as lxskllr suggests and use a powder. Don't know if that's doable/available, though.

Can you get bleach in powder form?

Chlorine bleach usually comes in a liquid form, but it can occasionally be found in a powdered form. Chlorine bleach contains sodium hypochlorite diluted with water.
Click to expand...
 
MrSquished

MrSquished

Lifer
Jan 14, 2013
25,759
24,098
136
Did you get Covid? I heard you can just inject the bleach dude so this is a smart move by you.
 
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Muse

Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
39,899
9,595
136
MrSquished said:
Did you get Covid? I heard you can just inject the bleach dude so this is a smart move by you.
Click to expand...
Well, the POTUS lofted it hypothetically, but he's the only guy who can fix us so must be right. I don't have covid yet, though. I do have a drawer dedicated for if and when I do get it, so a syringe and bleach must be added. Be Prepared, the Boy Scout's motto. My Boy Scout troop disbanded when IIRC no single scout had advanced beyond Tenderfoot, I never got the reason. That was the end of my scouting careering. I did have to wear some stuff freshman year at the U., they required it. Spit shine black shoes, uniform, the ROTC thing. I failed my Vietnam draft physical. I really had fucked up my back the year before. The one and only time I dove off a diving board. I have no idea how those Olympians do that stuff. I was one and done.
 
sdifox

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
98,722
17,210
126
You can buy chlorine in powder form. Add it to water to make a solution.
 
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