Star San - Other Uses Around The House

Before I send an email to Five Star with this question, I thought I'd ask it here first...

What are some other ways you use Star San around the house?

For instance, I use it every now and then to sanitize my Water Pik. Sometimes I go a few days without using the Water Pik, or if I'm away from home for a few weeks I wonder about bacteria that may be growing from the standing water left in the system.

I figure running some Star San through it should be very effective at keeping such bacteria under control. But I don't know for sure hence my notion to ask Five Star (and here first). I'd also think it'd be good to dip your toothbrush into every couple of weeks?

Also, I know someone who says it works for his sleep apnea CPAP machine. He says it works to control odors.

Any thoughts on using it for such uses? Any other uses out there?

Thanks!

EDIT: I received a reply from Five Star. See my post next page.

I haven't tried it for anything else, but I hope you'll post the answer you get from Five Star.

I was thinking that depending on the answers posted in this thread I might not bother writing to Five Star. If this thread ends up being a dud then I'll ask them.

Can you use it as a kitchen sanitizer?

It works great in the brewery, but will it work on e. coli and other nasty food bugs?

I use it to sanitize my yogurt making mason jars, plus my neti pot and cpap.

I make a lot of yogurt and fermented vegetables, and I use star san in a spray bottle to sanitize all my jars and containers. Get a sprayer with a fine mist and it is a super cheap sanitizer around the kitchen.

I use it to sanitize drinking glasses (I don't like to use soap). I rinse with water, spray some Starsan and let it sit a minute, rinse again, invert and drip-dry.

I have a great answer. I live in NV and have very hard water. As such I always have white spots on my shower glass that are almost impossible to remove. I have tried CLR and Lime Away, and lemons, and you name it. None of them removed the white spots. I read about treating these white spots with acid, so I mixed star san about twice as much as recommended, sprayed my shower door, scrubbed with a blue sponge, and magic, clean shower doors.

Wart removal. Sanitize thermoses, and knives.

also make yogurt and use it sanitize my containers.

Here's an unconventional use: Alternative fly swatter.

I always have a spray bottle of Starsan on each floor just in case...

They make the best fly swatters you've ever seen. Just spray it on them when they're on the window, countertop, or other hard, impervious places. It gets their wings wet and they don't fly so well after that. Then mop 'em up with a piece of paper towel. And well sanitized at the same time!

:rockin:

I use it in the kitchen...sausage making time...spray down the counter tops to sanitize and keep them wet as I stuff the sausage casings, makes it easy to slide them around into a coil...spray down the meat totes...spray down the meat mixer...very handy during sausage season.

Sometimes I use Starsan on those hard to clean waterbottle and coffee mug tops/lids.

Well I decided to reach out to Five Star for their advice. I asked in general about other uses other than Homebrewing, but more specifically about sanitizing my WaterPik after I've been away from home for a few weeks, or for keeping bacteria from growing on a toothbrush.

Essentially they say to exercise caution when using Star San on anything other than glass or stainless steel, and that it's effective only against the bacteria listed on the container.


Here's their reply:

Thank you for reaching out to Five Star Chemicals! In regards to your question, we always recommend to use caution when using Starsan solution on any surface other than stainless steel or glass. The reason being is that Starsan is highly acidic and has the potential to damage/corrode any porous or delicate surfaces. I would definitely not recommend dipping your toothbrush in a solution of Starsan. The only bacteria Starsan has been tested to kill are listed on the label, and these are e-coli and stapphylococus aureus. That being said, provided the surface is not delicate or porous, a 2 minute contact time at the 1oz/5gal dilution ratio should be a sufficient sanitizer, however we cannot guarantee the efficacy of the solution for use on all surfaces. Please let me know if you have any questions!

Hmm that's kind of surprising in my eyes. I would imagine that it should be tested for the common sources of "infection" Brett,lacto,pedio, (multiple strains).

Vesteroid said:

I have a great answer. I live in NV and have very hard water. As such I always have white spots on my shower glass that are almost impossible to remove. I have tried CLR and Lime Away, and lemons, and you name it. None of them removed the white spots. I read about treating these white spots with acid, so I mixed star san about twice as much as recommended, sprayed my shower door, scrubbed with a blue sponge, and magic, clean shower doors.

Click to expand...

Thank you. I’ll now try your method