what is a good cheap cleaner/sanitizer

just looking for recommendations of what people out there are using that is cheap and effective...

Cleaner = Oxyclean Free
Sanitizer = Star San

cleaner...generic oxiclean
sanitizer...star san, I mix up a 1/2 gallon at a time, an $8 dollar bottle lasts almost forever

what is the difference of just plain bleach vs. oxyclean?

I use betadine (iodophor)10% solution at 1,25ml/l rate.pretty darn cheap at pharmacies(5$ 8 oz. in place where i live though )

zodiak3000 said:

what is the difference of just plain bleach vs. oxyclean?

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Oxyclean is a cleaner it removes the organic crud from the fermentation. Bleach is a sanitizer and really does not clean all that well. If you use bleach as a no rinse sanitizer use no more than 1 once per gallon of water.

But StarSan or Iodopher are much more homebrew friendly and they really cost very little when used properly. I use distilled water with StarSan and i only mix up a gallon at a time. Using an quart sprayer and a garden sprayer to wet everything down to sanitize remember that it only need to be wet 30-90 seconds to be effective. You dont need to soak things in a bucket, That gallon last 3-4 brews .

I use Iodophor which is cheaper than starsan and I've had no problems. I love it.

springer said:

I use distilled water with StarSan and i only mix up a gallon at a time. Using an quart sprayer and a garden sprayer to wet everything down to sanitize remember that it only need to be wet 30-90 seconds to be effective. You dont need to soak things in a bucket, That gallon last 3-4 brews .

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When I use tap water the color clears pretty quickly. I can only get a batch or two outof it. Is it the distilled water that helps it last longer?

northernlad said:

When I use tap water the color clears pretty quickly. I can only get a batch or two outof it. Is it the distilled water that helps it last longer?

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Yes. The surfactants in the StarSan bind with the minerals in the Tap water and make it cloudy . I can keep it for a few months and its crystal clear and it will still be under 3 PH where its still effective.

When you say color are you using Iodopher or StarSan? Starsan has no color when mixed . Iodopher has a straw color to it and really doesn't have a long shelf life when its mixed with any type of water. I think they recommend you toss it after 8 hours or add more Iodopher.

can you get Iodophor at any drug store? rite aid, cvs, longs, etc.

also i found a container of easy clean that came with some equipment i purchased, is easy clean a cleaner and sanitizer?

I read that you can get Iodophor as 'bag cleaning' at tractor supply company and similar 'farm store' places. Not sure about CVS, as I don't think it's the same as iodine.

If I could make a recommendation: Keep the cleaner cheap (i.e. generic oxyclean), but don't scrimp on the sanitizer. One infected batch = $20-50, so paying a few bucks more (even double) for good quality sanitizer will pay for itself over and over again.