An alternative to beach for cleaning filter socks

[grassi]

I posted this thread on my local forum and people liked it, so I'm gonna publish it here too. I'm sure a lot of people are already using this method.
Enjoy


I'm reading pretty much everywhere about the common practice to add household bleach for cleaning filter socks.
I never used it for many reason, some due to the facts, some to some suspects.

Some facts:

-Even in small amount, the Sodium hypochloride contained in the household bleach will be released in your water column.
-Sodium hypochloride (NaOCl) reacts with metals, it can release chlorine gas and many other fun stuff that you don't want to happen in your tank.
-It also causes the precipitation of minerals such as calcium carbonate which is present in good amount in our tanks mostly producing trihalomethanes which are carcinogenic
-When mixed with some sort of ammonia (that we have in our tanks) it produces chloramines which are toxic.
-NaOCl will damage the fibers and the lifespan of the sock will be shortened. We all know that this is true for natural fibers, but it is also proven that some polymer can be damaged by acid and bleach
-There are some more effects of bleach on a water solution, you can find a lot of readings online.

Again, it will be present in a low level on a dry filter sock, but it will be present.

The suspect:

When beaching a filter sock you are just getting rid of stains, but you are not really cleaning the sock better, that being done with the mechanical action of cleaning (extra rinse in your washing machine).

So if you are just getting rid of stains for the pleasure of your eyes while introducing potential hazard for your tank, why you should use it?
I had to prove my suspect so I decided to perform a couple of tests.
I cut a used filter sock (felt) in 2 parts and washed one with and another one without bleach. Then I prepared a section and mounted it on a few slides.
At first sight under the microscope looks like the bleached one is much more clean than the other one.
But after I stained the sample I was able to see pretty much the same amount of particles (mostly algae) in the two samples.

The bleach just "bleached" the algae (what a genius!!!) but it DID NOT REMOVE THEM FROM THE SOCK.
The purpose of cleaning a filter sock is to get rid, as much as we can, of the particles that are clogging it. The test I performed showed me that bleach is not helping that way. I thought that bleach was able to somehow "destroy" the particles present in the sock, helping the mechanical cleaning, but it is not, probably due to the nature of the fiber used for filter socks.

I went ahead and I did another couple of tests.
First of all I put 3 samples of algae (which is most of the stuff trapped in your filter socks) in 3 liquids: household bleach, hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar

I let them sit for 30 minutes. The bleach turned the algae white, while the other 2 liquids left the color.

Then I did an empiric test, pulling apart the algae. As I imagined the bleach was the one who performed worst, followed by the vinegar and then, the winner: hydrogen peroxide

I then prepared my slides

And I put them under the scope

What I've seen under magnification confirmed my theory: bleach just remove the color from pigments (you can see at the end the solution is kinda green), while the other 2 solutions act more deeper on the algae structure. You can see how they started to break down

I then tried to wash a filter sock after soaking it with hydrogen peroxide.
It worked!!!
Soaked with about 1/4 of a cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide for a couple of hours, then washed (cotton, hot, extra rinse).
Hydrogen peroxide does not leave any chemical, it dissolves into water to water and oxygen. You can now safely have a white filter sock with no risk and without a lot of rinsing. I still suggest to let them dry to let the chlorine evaporate

Some algae already decomposing and living a brown juice

Clean as with bleach

But without the risk and the bad smell

Just a little bit of bubble noise lol

 

[Hemlock71]

WOW that's good to know and thanks for posting. So you used a 1/4 cup for the test obviously we could fill a bucket to desired level to soak socks?

 

[grassi]

Yes, but you can probably use less. I'm testing with less so to lower the cost

 

[Hemlock71]

I think my socks are too big with just a 1/4 cup..lol It can get costly though and you really can't mix it with water. What size filter socks do you use?

 

[grassi]

I think my socks are too big with just a 1/4 cup..lol It can get costly though and you really can't mix it with water. What size filter socks do you use?

You don't have to soak them, just pour some so that the mesh will absorb it.
The dirty sock should be almost dry, don't add water or it will react with the hydrogen peroxide and you don't want that at this point.
Just try and see if it gets clean, if not add some more.
My point is that bleach is just making it look clean (color) while the algae are still there.
I used 4x14 200 micron felt socks for the test.

 

[Hemlock71]

Thanks I'll give a try and let you know.

 

[bertoni]

That's a nice idea for a bleaching product for cleaning tank items.

 

[grassi]

That's a nice idea for a bleaching product for cleaning tank items.

Yes, it works on pretty much everything, frags included

 

[falconut]

Just so I understand you correctly, you say to take a dry filter sock and pour about 1/4 cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide directly on the sock. I assume that I should rotate the sock around to get the whole sock. Let sit for a few hours, rinse under the tap and let sit and dry. Now it's ready to use.

 

[RegalAngel]

More and more pulp mills that produce white "bleached" pulp from brown stock are no longer using hypochlorite in the "bleach" plant. Many are moving to the use of hydrogen peroxide and oxygen delignification.

This removes the chlorine in the end product which gains the name "green, chlorine free pulp".

 

[Clemente]

I was also worried about cleaning the socks with bleach so thank you Grassi for taking the time to experiment and post the results. That is a great alternative. :thumbsup:

 

[HighlandReefer]

You may find this article interesting:

Cleaner's Chempanion
From Volume 20, Issue 8 - August 2005
http://www.cleanfax.com/article.asp?IndexID=6635521

The versatility of hydrogen peroxide

Everywhere you turn, you see peroxide touted as a cleaning tool of choice "” it's a versatile solution to many challenges.
by: Aziz Ullah, Ph.D., MBA

Hydrogen peroxide is one of the most versatile, safe, dependable and environmentally desirable chemicals available.

Its many uses include bleaching of textiles and paper pulp, oxidizing, and an odor control agent for biological, industrial and municipal waste, including urine and fecal matter.

It is also used to detoxify organic and inorganic waste.

Hydrogen peroxide has many new applications, a number that is expanding each day. It is virtually the only bleaching agent for protein fibers, and is also very extensively used for cellulosic fibers like cotton.

Because oxygen bleaches do not damage dyestuffs, fabrics and fabric finishes, they are preferred to chlorine-based bleaches.

Hydrogen peroxide fights germs and bacteria "” without staining.

Hydrogen peroxide is particularly attractive in that it:
Adds only water and oxygen to a system, and does not create additional environmental problems
Requires simple, minimal equipment to use
Is safe for textile finishes
Has excellent stain removal properties
Eliminates odors
Improves water quality in sewer systems
Helps reduce biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) "” key parameters in determining water quality
Can detoxify cyanide, nitrogen compounds, chlorine, bisulfite, phenol and a host of other toxic based waste
It is both an oxidizer and reducer
Oxidation and reduction must occur at the same time in a chemical reaction.

For a substance to act as an oxidizing agent, it must gain electrons from another substance and have its own reduced (lose electrons), and vice versa.

A bleaching agent, which causes whitening to occur, does not itself become whiter because an oxidizing agent is not oxidized, but reduced.

Although hydrogen peroxide is a fairly strong oxidizer (gains electrons and gives up oxygen), it can act as a mild reducing agent (loses electrons, takes up oxygen); for example, towards permanganates, and reduces silver oxide to metallic silver.

Hydrogen peroxide, when an oxidizing agent, is reduced to water. It is also a reducing agent being oxidized to oxygen.

The decomposition of hydrogen peroxide is both an oxidation and a reduction reaction.

Marketed as a solution in water in a concentration of 3 to 90 percent by weight, solutions of hydrogen peroxide gradually deteriorate.

Hydrogen peroxide, especially when its concentration is over 50 percent by weight, requires great care in handling and storage. When dropped on paper or wood, it can ignite.

Understand weight, volume, percentage
The customary method expressing the strength of hydrogen peroxide solutions is by percentage weight (abbreviated w/w).

Formerly, it was common to use the expression "volume strength". Thus, 10 volume strength means that one volume unit of hydrogen peroxide will liberate 10 similar units of gaseous oxygen.

A 35 percent (w/w) solution of peroxide is equivalent to 130 volume strength, and a 50 percent (w/w) solution to 197 volume strength.

A 30 percent (w/w) solution of peroxide is equivalent to 100 volume strength.

The commercial strength supplied for textile uses are 35 and 50 percent.

Solutions containing more than 8 percent (w/w) hydrogen peroxide are corrosive to skin and cause intense irritation.

Contact with skin causes blotches that can be painful (should be washed away immediately), but will disappear after a few hours, without leaving traces.

Traces of certain metals or their salts act as catalysts, causing rapid decomposition of hydrogen peroxide.

Particularly active in this respect are copper and iron. If they are present in cotton before bleaching, the promoted oxidizing action will cause degradation or disintegration of the textile.

Solid forms of hydrogen peroxide
A number of solid peroxygen compounds are available in solid form, which release hydrogen peroxide when dissolved in water. These are more stable than the liquid form and easier to handle.

Since the 1960s, U.S. manufacturers have used sodium perborate tetrahydrate in heavy-duty powders and dry bleaches. In addition to its stability, the product exhibits excellent bleaching characteristics and is relatively safe and easy to handle. The low solubility in water of this product limits its use.

Drying sodium perborate tetrahydrate produces sodium perborate monohydrate. This product dissolves much more readily than the tetrahydrate and shows good stability. Because the perborates are either activated (release hydrogen peroxide) at high temperatures or by the use of activator catalysts, they have not gained much in popularity.

Sodium percarbonate or sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate gives good alkalinity and a good rate of dissolution. It has good performance characteristics, but is less easy to formulate into other products. Sodium percarbonate is available from suppliers of carpet cleaning chemicals. Sodium percarbonate can be added to a ready to use cleaning solution, but because of the limited stability after the solution is made, only enough should be made that can be used for each job. Sodium percarbonate is kinder to fibers and safer to use on water cleanable fabrics and colorfast dyes. It can brighten and improve cleaning and remove oxidizable stains that normally resist cleaning chemicals. It reduces graying of colors and yellowing of whites, and improves brightness on repeat cleanings.

Magnesium monoperoxyphthalate hexahydrate, unlike other solid forms, liberates the peracid directly and is soluble at low temperatures. This product has the ability to rapidly bleach stains and has a high biocidal activity. This product has not achieved commercial importance.

Peroxide and stain removal
Much stain removal is carried out by oxidation, with oxidized bleaches such as hydrogen peroxide.

The oxidation removes most stains, while generally not affecting fast colors; unlike chlorine bleach, hydrogen peroxide has virtually no adverse effect on textile fibers or on most dyes.

Hydrogen peroxide in cold water removes blood stains from cotton and linen fabrics. Potassium permanganate, another oxidizing agent, removes most stains from white fabrics (except rayon). The resulting permanganate stain can then be removed by treatment with oxalic acid.

It was at one time thought that that the oxidizing action of hydrogen peroxide depended on the fact that it readily underwent decomposition with the liberation of oxygen:

H2O2 "”> H2O + O
This explanation, however, is no longer valid. There is no absolute certainty about the nature of the bleaching action, but it is believed that the perhydroxyl ion is the active species.

These ions are formed when hydrogen peroxide dissociates in the following manner:

H2O2 <"”> HO+ + HO-2
It is a well-known fact that bleaching is more rapid in alkaline than in acid solutions.

This may well be because the hydroxyl ions present in the alkaline solution neutralize the hydrogen ions, thereby promoting the liberation of perhydroxyl ions.

In most ceiling tile cleaners, the active component is hydrogen peroxide ranging in strength from 10 to 35 percent (w/w), and the inert component is a dilute alkaline detergent solution, sometimes ammoniated.

The two components are then mixed and sprayed on the tiles, resulting in oxidizing the stains and bleaching any other associated coloring matter.

Hydrogen peroxide has been effective in the removal of urine stains, and can be effectively employed to remove acid dye stains by the heat transfer method.

Hydrogen peroxide at about 10 percent (w/w), when mixed with ammoniated detergent solution, makes an effective coffee stain remover.

Odor control with peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide not only has a high biocidal activity but, unlike other biocides, actually breaks the bonds of odor-causing molecules, rendering them harmless, and in most cases, reducing them into the most elemental forms.

Hydrogen peroxide appears to be one of the most effective and reliable methods of odor control in sanitary sewers.

Hydrogen peroxide is being commercially employed in tannery effluent clean-up, waste odor problems in dairies, for treatment of shipboard waste, and waste cleanup at breweries.


Hydrogen peroxide adds dissolved oxygen to water, which helps prevent anaerobic (absence of oxygen) conditions, which causes malodorous conditions.

Hydrogen peroxide has been successfully used in control of fecal and urine odors.

Skunk odor removal
Alkaline hydrogen peroxide has been used to scrub hydrogen sulfide gas from waste gas streams.

This reagent works well with thiols that are smelly compounds of sulfur.

Because skunk spray is composed mainly of low molecular weight thiols, like n-butyl mercaptan and dicrotyl sulfide, a dilute solution of hydrogen peroxide mixed with baking soda and a little wetting agent such as liquid hand soap is very effective in removing skunk-type odors.

Bleaching
Calcium or sodium hypochlorite (chlorine bleach) should never be used on wool because they discolor and damage the fiber.

It is important when using hydrogen peroxide to achieve the right level of stability.

If the pH is too low, no perhydroxyl ions are set free, and bleaching will not take place. But when the pH is too high, the hydrogen peroxide becomes too unstable and the whole of perhydroxyl ions are decomposed with the liberation of oxygen before it has had time to act on the textile.

It is virtually impossible to adjust to the optimum pH with alkali alone, and it is necessary to add a stabilizer which will keep the pH within the limits of 8 to 9, when both wool and cotton goods can be effectively bleached.

Catalysts that speed up the decomposition of peroxide can be extremely dangerous in the peroxide bleaching of protein fibers.

Bleaching of protein fibers with hydrogen peroxide can cause degradation of the protein fiber, unless the alkalinity and temperature are properly controlled.

There are occasions when bleaching with hydrogen peroxide at a pH lower than 7 is desirable, especially when the goods contain colored fibers that do not show good color fastness to alkalis.

Shipping
Hydrogen peroxide of 8 to 20 percent by weight strength falls under hazard class 5.1 and must carry an "oxidizer" hazard label; maximum unit quantity that can be shipped is 2.5 liters (0.66 gallons) by UPS ground, and packaged according to packing group II.

Hydrogen peroxide of greater than 20 percent (w/w) strength has even greater restriction, and the unit quantities that may be shipped are smaller.

Violations of shipping regulations may subject the shipper to fines and/or prosecution by appropriate federal authorities. For details see DOT 49 Code of Federal Regulations Part 173.

A word of caution
Before you rush out to buy and use hydrogen peroxide, make sure you understand the product.

As mentioned earlier, hydrogen peroxide works very effectively, but you may have to experiment with the type of material or purpose you want to use it for, as well as the conditions, such as concentration, working temperature, stability of pH, and the use of a catalyst.

This may require patience.

Aziz Ullah, Ph.D., MBA, is president of Fabpro Manufacturing, a leading formulator of top-quality carpet and upholstery cleaning products. He is a member of the American Chemical Society, senior member of the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists, and a member of The Textile Institute (UK). He can be reached at www.fabpro.com.

 

[grassi]

Just so I understand you correctly, you say to take a dry filter sock and pour about 1/4 cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide directly on the sock. I assume that I should rotate the sock around to get the whole sock. Let sit for a few hours, rinse under the tap and let sit and dry. Now it's ready to use.

After a few hours of soaking I put mine into the washing machine (with no detergent) and I went for the faster cycle. I will try to just rinse it in the sink, but I don't think it is enough

 

[grassi]

Cliff, thanks for the article!

 

[chuckreef]

Is there another way to look at this?

Is there another way to look at this?

Grassi,

Have you considered that your "observations" actually support an opposite conclusion; that not enough bleach was used? This conclusion may actually be more beneficial to those who are using/cleaning filter socks.

I.e., You observed that there was still organic matter trapped in the filter socks. This means (to me) you did not raise the FC level high enough and for sufficiently long enough to burn off the trapped organic matter - which is why you add the bleach. Basically, this process is not so dissimilar from superchlorinating (shocking) a swimming pool; one needs to get the oxidizer level high and for long enough to destory the target orgainic matter, whether its in the pool water/filer or in the reef filter socks.

I suggest that the next step would be to repeat the used filter sock cleaning process at various increased levels of chloirne for various increased time intervals (in a bucket). When you elucidate the levlels that yield very little (or no observable) orgainc debris left in the socks, then you will know how much bleach (and how long) is necessary to actually "clean" the algae from the filter socks. This would help others who could use this info (and, perhaps an OTO test kit) to better effect thier filter sock cleaning

Of course, this complete cleaning process can be (perhpas should be) followed with a wash with just water, and/or with one's choice of reducing agent (e.g., hydrogen peroxide or sodium thiosulfate), to eliminate any residual free chlorine present after the oxidation step.

The goal should be to oxidize, as completley as possible, the reduced carbon componds trapped in the socks, not to simply whighten them.

Just food for thought. (Sorry for the pun - but the food trapped in the filter socks, is why I quite using them entirely long ago.)

Chuck

 

[grassi]

Chuck I will redo the cleaning experiment.
But the second test (algae soaked into the 3 solutions) demonstrate that hydrogen peroxide is more effective than the other two.
Also, the main point, is that is less dangerous, more gentle on the fabric and require less energy to be cleaned (you don't have to worry about a lot of rinsing to get rid of the bleach)

 

[chuckreef]

>>>>

Chuck I will redo the cleaning experiment.
But the second test (algae soaked into the 3 solutions) demonstrate that hydrogen peroxide is more effective than the other two.

It appears (to me) in the photo that the chlorine bleach destroyed more chromophores (than the other two); in fact nearly all of the chromophores in the cells have been destroyed.

>>>> Also, the main point, is that is less dangerous, more gentle on the fabric and require less energy to be cleaned (you don't have to worry about a lot of rinsing to get rid of the bleach)

The hydrogen peroxide is a lower impact alternative due to less VOCs produced, that is certain. Presumably the (energy used in the) rinsing step will be the same in either case; throw them in the washer and run it for cycle X. So, I agree, for the above process (of making white filter socks), the hydrogen peroxide has less impact on the environment.

I don't think there will be any difference on the filter sock, neither oxidizer, (nor the sodium hydoxide in the chlorine bleach) will have much impact on the polyester fibers.

However, if the goal is to actually free the socks of the trapped polluting organic matter to the extent possible using common household agents, the test is unfinished and no winner can be chosen because you did not reach or explore/observe that endpoint.

 

[jefathome]

My ususal "process" is to take the filter sock, do a quick rinse in the sink, then straight into the washer with some bleach... then a 2nd rinse.

I take it from the materials above that I couldn't jsut replace the bleach with HP in the wash cycle?

 

[grassi]

Chuck, in my first test I washed a filter sock with bleach and I observed it under the microscope. Most of the organic matter was still there, just not visible at naked eye because it lost the color.
When I did the same with HP most of the organic matter was gone, not only invisible, so the sock resulted more clean to me.
As for the energy used in the washing, you need less, because you don't need extra rinsing cycles (necessary to be sure to get rid of most of the dangerous residual).

Jefathome, you don't put the HP in the washer, but you soak it in a bucket overnight.
You then put into the washer. No 2nd rinse is needed

 

[rsuplido]

So, I guess we can just use hydrogen peroxide off the shelf that we can get from say Sam's Club (cheap -- just about $1.75 for two liters)? Should it be used full strength or diluted?

Also, will this work on cleaning pumps (e.g. Vortech) as well?

Thanks for sharing!