Can bottles soak too long in Oxxy clean?

[glockspeed31]

As the title says, I had some stubborn bottle labels that wouldn't come off after soaking for a day, so I left them soaking. Fast forward a couple Weeks, remembered the bottles were still soaking.

Is there anything to worry about them soaking for a very long time?

Thanks

 

[wormraper]

As the title says, I had some stubborn bottle labels that wouldn't come off after soaking for a day, so I left them soaking. Fast forward a couple Weeks, remembered the bottles were still soaking.

Is there anything to worry about them soaking for a very long time?

Thanks

only thing to really worry about is your bottles getting some "film" on them from the oxyclean. easy thing to fix though. just soak them after that in a bucket of an acid base like Starsan or vinegar water

 

[Hamsterbite]

This from the oxyclean website FAQ:

Q-Can I store diluted mixture of oxclean in a sealed container?
A-Once mixed solution should NOT be left in a sealed container. It will continue to give off oxygen and the container may rupture and cause injury. Dispose of all unused solution after 6 hours by pouring into a drain or toilet.

My understanding is that the action of chemical reaction releasing oxygen is what drives the PH high and makes it an effective cleaner. Once the ingredients that drive that reaction have been exhausted, what you're left with is just dirty water. The PH of a fresh solution of oxyclean can be up to 11, and the water is going to feel slippery/slimy. The PH begins to fall off pretty rapidly. After a week or so, you've probably fallen to the neutral side and it's no longer effective as a cleaner. Once PH falls out of the caustic range, you're open for bacterial blooms and other nasties, especially if you've got label/adhesive starches mixed in there. It won't hurt the bottles, but I'd give them another thorough cleaning before I went to sanitizing.

BTW, PBW works awesome for label removal. An overnight soak and they'll fall off on their own.

 

[Hamsterbite]

This also from their FAQ

Q-How long is Oxyclean active/effective after mixed with water?
A-The cleaning strength of OxiClean® will remain active for 6 hours after mixing. Dispose of unused solution after 6 hours by pouring into a drain or toilet.

 

[coolharry]

I had a bucket of bottles that I forgot about for a while as well (maybe a month?). I use the off brand, Sun cleaner, from walmart mixed with TSP. But it left something all over the bottles. not really a film as I can't scrape it off or feel it, more of a discoloration or etching of the glass. It appears as blue shades streaked all over. I have not been able to get it off for the life of me. I've tried another soak in the cleaner, scrubbing, the dishwasher with vinegar, soaking in vinegar, soaking in star-san, even soaking in star-san for the length of time they sat in the cleaner. no dice. Good thing it was only 10 or so bottles.