bleach question

[Caden Schaefer]

Perhaps this is a chemistry question and perhaps it's a general household
stuff question, but here goes. When I have a washing machine full of hot
water and white clothes (and detergent), and I dump in a bit of bleach, I
see the water instantly turn red-brown, then *just as quickly* go clear
again and stay clear. What the heck is that about? If the bleach upon
hitting the water formed red-brown stuff, why didn't the water STAY that
color?

[DrClean]

"Caden Schaefer" <cschaefer3@austin.rr.com> wrote in message
news:oFe%b.405$qo.72@fe1.texas.rr.com...
> Perhaps this is a chemistry question and perhaps it's a general household
> stuff question, but here goes. When I have a washing machine full of hot
> water and white clothes (and detergent), and I dump in a bit of bleach, I
> see the water instantly turn red-brown, then *just as quickly* go clear
> again and stay clear. What the heck is that about? If the bleach upon
> hitting the water formed red-brown stuff, why didn't the water STAY that
> color?
>
>
>
It sounds as if the bleach is reacting with something in your washing
powder. The heat of the wash increases the speed of the reaction of the
bleach and so it clearly reacts and then oxydises fairly quickly.

Try it with a different washing powder and at different temperatures to see
what it might be.

Hope this helps.
--
DrClean
www.DrClean.co.uk
The Best Fabric Cleaning Resource on the Web

[XrAyZ]

Ok, lets think of the following. In the case you are using a kind of
washing powder it might be that there's an amount of Iron (Fe) present
(next to K, Ca, Mg,....., what else there in this 'poison'). Fe reacts
with bleach (OCl- : hypo-chlorite, if I'm not mistaking). What happens
might be a oxidation-reduction reaction in wich the partial reaction
Fe -> Fe2O3 takes place. This is just the formation of 'rust'. If it
isn't Iron it might also be Manganese, but this is rather doubtfull.
Anyway, search in this direction. And don't forget, there are still
more healthier alternatives to these artificial detergents, like
'Savon de Marseille' !

If u're ever going to bleach with hydrogen-peroxide (HOOH). Be
carefull and store it wise !

[Greg]

Trial2Learn@hotmail.com (XrAyZ) wrote in message news:<e8ee0b7f.0403141001.3de84f12@posting.google.com>...
> Ok, lets think of the following. In the case you are using a kind of
> washing powder it might be that there's an amount of Iron (Fe) present
> (next to K, Ca, Mg,....., what else there in this 'poison'). Fe reacts
> with bleach (OCl- : hypo-chlorite, if I'm not mistaking). What happens
> might be a oxidation-reduction reaction in wich the partial reaction
> Fe -> Fe2O3 takes place. This is just the formation of 'rust'. If it
> isn't Iron it might also be Manganese, but this is rather doubtfull.
> Anyway, search in this direction. And don't forget, there are still
> more healthier alternatives to these artificial detergents, like
> 'Savon de Marseille' !
>
> If u're ever going to bleach with hydrogen-peroxide (HOOH). Be
> carefull and store it wise !

ooo so OCl- is the chemical makeup of bleach

[Scott]

"Bleach" is Sodium Hypochlorite, NaOCl, and the typical "bleach" solution
has a pH >10. Sodium Hypochlorite is an oxidizer and a realtively weak
disinfectant. To make "bleach" a stronger disinfectant you have to lower
the pH. Lowering the pH, to roughly between 6-9 will convert the NaOCl to
hypochlorte ion, OCl-, and is a more powerful disinfectant and oxidizer.
Lowering the pH further, 2-5, will convert the OCl- to Hypochlorous Acid,
HOCl, which is the strongest form of "bleach" as far as oxidizing power and
disinfecting ability. However, this comes at a cost....typically increased
corrosion to metals, greater "chlorination" of organics, and lower
stability (less shelf-life)....amongst other things.

I couldnt' remember the exact pH ranges/cut-offs, but what I have is close.

>
> ooo so OCl- is the chemical makeup of bleach
>