Laundry Sanitizer?

RavensGryf

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Jan 19, 2014
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College Station, Texas
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I'm thinking there has to be something on the market today... Years ago they had "laundry sanitizer" for when/if something really gross had to go into the washing machine. Then one day they discontinued it! :11:

In this day and age in our hyper bacteria consciousness society, with all the germ-busting products out there, I'm surprised I haven't found a sanitizer for laundry.

April, if you see this... I didn't want to hijack your thread, but you mentioned some thing you spray on the cage liners before you wash them called "bac-out"? That sounds to me like it's the product I might be looking for? Can you give me some info on what it is and where to find it?

Anyone know what I can use? This has nothing to do with birds... Just a general OT question. :)
 

weco

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Nov 24, 2010
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Have you looked at sodium borate? It's Borax in the store.....
 

Kiwibird

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Jul 12, 2012
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1 BFA- Kiwi. Hatch circa 98', forever home with us Dec. 08'
I make my own "detergent mix" and one ingredient is Borax, which kills germs (and cleans clothes!). I also add a 1/2cup of white vinegar to every load, which also kills germs (and contrary to logic, does NOT leave a vinegar smell).

Bac-out is a natural enzyme spray that I use on cloth reusable items and will use on Kiwi's liners too. It removes stains really well, but I only spray it on areas that are stained/soiled, don't actually add to the wash
[ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0061VZQWO/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1535523722&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B001OI0YWG&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0KMCRRM799W3F2NKSRFV]Amazon.com: BioKleen Bac-Out Stain and Odor Eliminator 1 US Gal: Health & Personal Care[/ame]
 
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RavensGryf

RavensGryf

Supporting Member
Jan 19, 2014
14,233
190
College Station, Texas
Parrots
Red Bellied Parrot /
Ruppell's Parrot /
Bronze Winged Pionus /
English Budgie
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Thanks for the tips! I looked into Borax, and it seems like a convenient way to sanitize laundry (when you don't want to use bleach). I think I'll be getting some :)

April, read below. I copy/pasted this from an article I found. It says don't use borax and vinegar simultaneously.

___________________

From article - econutssoap.com

Vinegar: Another acidic disinfectant. You should use it on a separate wash cycle from Borax as you will lose the benefits of the pH changes each does that contributes to killing germs (Borax is basic and Vinegar is acidic). Lots of people add it to the rinse but I recommend another plain water rinse after using to bring the pH back to neutral. Contrary to popular belief, vinegar is not a strong disinfectant for laundry and while the disinfecting properties of vinegar are well know, vinegar is not registered as an EPA disinfectant. It does have disinfectant properties, but it is not as acidic as lemon juice. It is better utilized in the rinse cycle to help get rid of soap residue.

To use, add ¼ to ½ cup in the rinse cycle or regular wash load. Vinegar can be used safely at any water temperature. Also, Vinegar can be used with Baking Soda as the two together can kill germs and bacteria (and fight stains!) without creating any toxic byproducts.

Borax: Borax is a pH buffer and raises the pH of your water to make it slightly basic. Borax is used best as a laundry booster. It works by converting some water molecules to Hydrogen Peroxide and works best in hotter water. The pH buffer it create in the water make a stable environment for chemical reactions to occur between the soap and your clothes, thus its “laundry booster” qualities. The reactions that borax undergoes in hot water does the disinfecting.

To disinfect with borax, wash on hot and add ½ cup per load. Use in the wash cycle and not the rinse cycle. Borax can also be toxic if consumed, so keep away from little ones and pets.

As stated above, don’t use borax with vinegar or lemon juice.
 

Kiwibird

Well-known member
Jul 12, 2012
9,539
111
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1 BFA- Kiwi. Hatch circa 98', forever home with us Dec. 08'
Thats interesting. That's how I was told to wash clothes, since I've always gotten rashes from laundry detergent and anything fragranced gives me headaches. I don't really feel our clothes get *THAT* dirty that they need to be sanitized (cleaned, yes, but sterilized? no). However, I will try next week on laundry day not to add the vinegar and see what happens:)
 

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