Which Oxyclean to use?

[cd2448]

Hi,

I've been using Oxyclean Miracle Foam (which we found in the kitchen cupboard) to clean everything for my brewing and it's worked very well. But the container is nearly empty and I need to stock up.

Well, I've now been to a drugstore, a grocery store and Target, and no-one seems to have this miracle foam stuff. What kind of Oxyclean do fans use? I can only find it in the laundry aisle (Oxyclean Verstatile or Versatile free). When I searched HBT I found a couple of references to that kind but the sticky refers to "an industrial version" of Oxyclean.

Can someone clean this up for me?

Thanks!

 

[Orpheus]

I use a tub of the Versatile Free stuff. I don't want any perfumes or dyes messing with my brew. The stuff is phenomenal at cleaning brewing equipment!

 

[cd2448]

Cool - that's the stuff that's in the laundry aisle and talks about using it to clean decks and carpets and stuff?

 

[FlyGuy]

I like OxyClean Free, which is unscented and has no chlorines in it. You can buy it in big tubs at WalMart really cheap.

 

[Revvy]

I use versatile free, and buy the biggest tub I can find.

The stuff is amazing.

I can't believe how useful this stuff is, and how it makes cleanup so easy. Right now both my bottling bucket and my primary are bubbling away with it. And my autosiphon is running through it to clean that out.

Oh...I had a boilover a couple of batches back and the metal stove ring was deeply coated with baked on sticky sugar. I popped it into a bucket with the magic powder, came back in 24 hours and cleaned up 90 percent of the gunk. Then I mixed up another bucket of fresh oxy in hot water, and left soaking another 24 hours....

You'd never be able to tell it was coated in sticky burning sugar.!

Oh another handy tool is the "magic eraser."

(no, that magic pony on the table isn't mine, the pic came off the magic eraser website )

I use whatever store brand generic I find on sale...

This is almost as amazing as oxyclean.... It's what I used on the stovetop for the boilover, made the stovetop look brand new, as well as the wall behind the stove which got a few broun drops on it. It also does great to get the last bit of sticky glue off the bottles after oxyclean has soaked the labels off. It's definitely a good addition to the cleanup gear.

I also hotglued 2 of them to a cheap dollarstore mop, and it is amazing on my kitcen and bathroom floors.

 

[5 Is Not Enough]

If you search, you'll find a post indicating that the primary active ingredient is called "Sodium Percarbonate". Hence this line of "Oxygen Cleaners" being dubbed "Percarbonate Cleaners". I did a little research and found out the cheap stuff at wall mart is almost exactly the same as the -twice the money- OXYCLEAN branded cleaners. (you can check out there websites and compare the data reports). The cheap stuff is labeled as "Sun Oxygen Cleaner". I've used it for about 6 batches now, and I've not noticed a difference in performance. Its also been suggested that you can order the active ingredient (percarbonate) from chemical supply stores and use that, but Ive not tried it.

 

[5 Is Not Enough]

Oh yeah, and you'll also find that the higher end brew specific cleaners PBW and UBW are both predominately percarbonate, but I'm sure there are additional detergents that increase effectiveness.

 

[Revvy]

If you search, you'll find a post indicating that the primary active ingredient is called "Sodium Percarbonate". Hence this line of "Oxygen Cleaners" being dubbed "Percarbonate Cleaners". I did a little research and found out the cheap stuff at wall mart is almost exactly the same as the -twice the money- OXYCLEAN branded cleaners. (you can check out there websites and compare the data reports). The cheap stuff is labeled as "Sun Oxygen Cleaner". I've used it for about 6 batches now, and I've not noticed a difference in performance. Its also been suggested that you can order the active ingredient (percarbonate) from chemical supply stores and use that, but Ive not tried it.

Thanks for the research and the tip...I'll go for the generic when this tub runs out.

 

[Jonnio]

Its also been suggested that you can order the active ingredient (percarbonate) from chemical supply stores and use that, but Ive not tried it.

I order straight sodium percarbonate - did it before I started brewing for other reasons, but it also works GREAT for everything that people say to use oxyclean for, only I use a lot less.

 

[beergears]

Checked CVS, Walgreen's and cannot find the Oxyclean "Free"...!

Am I left to go to WalMart, or are there other options (beside getting the percarbonate somewhere)?

.

 

[aekdbbop]

anyone use the cheap oxyclean stuff from walmart? Sun something.. thats what i use.. sometimes leaves a film, but comes off easily.

 

[Revvy]

anyone use the cheap oxyclean stuff from walmart? Sun something.. thats what i use.. sometimes leaves a film, but comes off easily.

A lot of people on here swear by the generic stuff...I'm going to get some after I finish my current tub.

 

[jtvinny]

Do you give it a single rinse after and that is it? I bought the brand name Oxy-Clean and am going to soak some bottle tonight for bottling tomorrow. Do you wash/rinse with a one step after? This is my first batch of beer in years (second overall) and I don't want to screw it up.

By the way- When bottling, how much headroom do I want to leave for a stout?

 

[Revvy]

Do you give it a single rinse after and that is it? I bought the brand name Oxy-Clean and am going to soak some bottle tonight for bottling tomorrow. Do you wash/rinse with a one step after? This is my first batch of beer in years (second overall) and I don't want to screw it up.

By the way- When bottling, how much headroom do I want to leave for a stout?

Your want to rinse it thoroughly. I usually do 3 water changes. Then you would soak the bottles in a no rinse sanitizer.

I use a bottling wand, and use the same amount of headroom for all my beers regardless of style...The bottling wand does it automatically- You fill the bottle til just at overflowing then pull the wand out, It leaves about 2 inches of headspace in each bottle. So without a wand, you want to fill about 2 incehs from the lip of the bottle.

 

[jtvinny]

After posting my question I did a search (yeah I know, "wrong order n00b"). As soon as I saw some of the other posts I had two reactions.

"DOH!"
and
I imagined Bart at the chalkboard writing
"The search button is my friend."
"The search button is my friend."
"The search button is my friend."
"The search button is my friend."
"The search button is my friend."
"The search button is my...

 

[Nurmey]

After posting my question I did a search (yeah I know, "wrong order n00b"). As soon as I saw some of the other posts I had two reactions.

"DOH!"
and
I imagined Bart at the chalkboard writing
"The search button is my friend."
"The search button is my friend."
"The search button is my friend."
"The search button is my friend."
"The search button is my friend."
"The search button is my...

HaHa. I like you.