Had my first "bleach in the pool??" argument!!!

[cygnusecks]

Our 14k IG ptec pool was just finished in April. Pool builder was supposed to "service" pool for the first month. Not surprisingly, no one showed up and our pool turned green due to high temps and no chemicals at all. I first went to the "pool store" and bought $100 in chemicals just to get the pool going and will be subtracting that from the final pool payment...

Annyway, a week or so later I found this forum and am solidly in the "bleach/borax/baking soda" camp now. So now I am on the hunt for the cheapest bleach deal in town. Walmart is currently winning but I haven't priced the pool stores yet. Saturday, I was looking in Home Depot for bleach. In the pool area, I spot some new Clorox green jug called "outdoor bleach". I thought maybe it was some higher concentration bleach. But nowhere on the bottle does it list the concentration. Pool section employee comes over and asks me for help. I say "I'm looking for the concentration of sodium hypochlorite on this bottle, to see if it's any cheaper for my pool". I got the "what the...??" look. She says "You're putting that WHERE??? You don't use bleach in your pool, you use this stuff" and points at the 10% "liquid chlorinator" bottle. She says "If I had a pool, and I don't, I wouldn't put anything in there that doesn't have a picture of a pool on it". I point out that the ingredients are identical. Doesn't matter. She's convinced. You all know how this ends :-) After the dust settled, I felt pretty dumb arguing with someone who probably doesn't give a damn about me or my pool and probably thought I was just a chemicals dork.

Anyway, Clorox outdoor bleach cleaner (http://www.thecloroxcompany.com/products/msds/bleach/cloroxoutdoorbleachcleaner.pdf) does contain 5-8% sodium hypochlorite, but it also contains sodium hydroxide. I wonder how bad that is for a pool. It's also much more expensive, so I think this is not gonna work.

[CarlD]

...After the dust settled, I felt pretty dumb arguing with someone who probably doesn't give a damn about me or my pool and probably thought I was just a chemicals dork.

Anyway, Clorox outdoor bleach cleaner (http://www.thecloroxcompany.com/products/msds/bleach/cloroxoutdoorbleachcleaner.pdf) does contain 5-8% sodium hypochlorite, but it also contains sodium hydroxide. I wonder how bad that is for a pool. It's also much more expensive, so I think this is not gonna work.

Been there, done that! Since she doesn't have a pool and works in H/D, what she thinks isn't important--as I've learned the hard way!:rolleyes:

I believe Sodium Hydroxide is lye. If so, it may raise your pH and should be handled carefully. I don't believe there's anything it will add that will otherwise hurt your pool, but the chem buffs can kick in here and comment--and correct me!;)

[waterbear]

All bleach contains sodium hydroxide. It is necessary to keep the chlorine gas in solution and part of the maufacturing process. However, the Clorox outdoor cleaner seems to have a range of chlorine concentration while their other bleaches are more exact. I would use caution about putting it in the pool. I noticed it at the Home Depot near where I live and it was actually more expensive than the regular Cloriox bleach. The only bleach that Chlorox documents on their website for pool use is the Clorox Professional Commercial Solutions Ultra Clorox Germicidal Bleach. I guess this is just plain bleach without their new whitening additive. You can probably get this stuff at a janitorial supply house but I have no idea what the price is.

[nater]

I've had luck looking at Kmart, Dollar General, and Save-a-lot for deals on regular generic bleach. Typically in the 3 -Qt size. I've foung a case of 6 for as little as $5.00. However, you may/may not have these stores in your area, and it's been several weeks since I've compared prices.

Regardless, I'd be very careful about putting "special" bleaches into the pool, you never know what they're sneaking in there.

The HD argument is funny. I've found you can pretty much start an "interesting" conversation on any given aisle if you've got some basic knowledge of what you're looking for :)

[chrisexv6]

Funny, Im surprised I havent gotten into one of these "discussions" with people at Walmart.........no one there even blinks an eye when I line up to check out with about 20 gallons of bleach and a 4 lb box of Borax and baking soda.

Waiting for someone to ask if Im doing a lot of laundry :)

Still funny that people think bleach is horrible for your pool, but 12% chlorine from a pool store is "much safer".

-Chris

[kevincad]

All bleach contains sodium hydroxide. It is necessary to keep the chlorine gas in solution and part of the maufacturing process. However, the Clorox outdoor cleaner seems to have a range of chlorine concentration while their other bleaches are more exact. I would use caution about putting it in the pool. I noticed it at the Home Depot near where I live and it was actually more expensive than the regular Cloriox bleach. The only bleach that Chlorox documents on their website for pool use is the Clorox Professional Commercial Solutions Ultra Clorox Germicidal Bleach. I guess this is just plain bleach without their new whitening additive. You can probably get this stuff at a janitorial supply house but I have no idea what the price is.
The Clorox outdoors stuff is thick, too, so I'm sure they have some sort of goo they add that may not be good for pool water.

[VOLDADDY]

[QUOTE=nater]I've had luck looking at Kmart, Dollar General, and Save-a-lot for deals on regular generic bleach. Typically in the 3 -Qt size. I've foung a case of 6 for as little as $5.00. However, you may/may not have these stores in your area, and it's been several weeks since I've compared prices.

Nater-I have all 3 of these stores in my area. I am in N GA. Where did you find the 6% bleach for $5? I am paying about $1.30 a jug now for generic stuff. I go to Bi-Lo because it is 1 minute from my subdivision. TIA.

[nater]

It was at the local Dollar General back in early March. It was a generic brand bleach, 3qt jugs in a case of 6. I bought two cases for under $15.00. They had it piled up in the middle of the store with a big "sale!!" sign. That was the last time I looked there for bleach as I haven't needed it since.

Given my luck, it was from last summer and not very potent anymore....;)

[CarlD]

Funny, Im surprised I havent gotten into one of these "discussions" with people at Walmart.........no one there even blinks an eye when I line up to check out with about 20 gallons of bleach and a 4 lb box of Borax and baking soda.

Waiting for someone to ask if Im doing a lot of laundry :)

Still funny that people think bleach is horrible for your pool, but 12% chlorine from a pool store is "much safer".

-Chris

Ask PoolDoc about 12.5%.....

I suspect you could walk out of WalMart with 500# of ammonia-base fertilizer, 50 gallons of diesel oil and a timer mechanism and nobody would question you!

[chrisexv6]

Why would they question *that*?

Id clearly be buying those supplies so I could fertilize my farm with a diesel tractor using the timer so I know when dinner is done ;)

I forgot where I saw it, but I read an article by a teenager who said its no fun being able to go to WalMart and buy supplies for "mischief" because no one bats an eye. At least at grocery stores he says he has to come up with interesting answers!

-Chris

[bbb]

Chrisexv6, lots of people buy bleach, borax, and baking soda in bulk for plenty of other household cleaning, frugal style (http://frugalliving.about.com/od/cleaning/a/springcleaning.htm), without unneeded additives, which, if you think about it, is exactly what we are doing for our pools.

[Poconos]

In response to CarlD's post #9....in the Walmart here we can do all that and also walk out with a high power riflle and all the ammo you want. However...walk out with a can of spray paint and they want your life history. Just joking. If I walked out with the agressive stuff I would think I would be asked if I was over 18. Yeah...I'll show them my AARP card that gets me hotel discounts. Heck...it's 8-10$ off a Hampton Inn rate.
Al

[Spurgeon]

The best price I have found for bleach has been 1.30 per gallon. The lable reads 3% . I am beginning to wonder if it might not be cheaper to use the pool stuff. By the time you double the amount of bleach to get to a 6% needed, you are getting close to the price of Liquid Chlorine sold by the pool dealers.

[Watermom]

1.30 for a gallon of 3% seems pretty expensive to me. I think I paid about $1.28 for 3 quarts of generic Walmart 6%.

[chrisexv6]

Chrisexv6, lots of people buy bleach, borax, and baking soda in bulk for plenty of other household cleaning, frugal style (http://frugalliving.about.com/od/cleaning/a/springcleaning.htm), without unneeded additives, which, if you think about it, is exactly what we are doing for our pools.

I try to tell my family and friends that "Im not cheap, Im frugal", but they dont listen!

Fine by me, I get the last laugh when my pool is crystal clear for 1/3rd the cost of their "sorta cloudy" pool.

-Chris

[matt4x4]

Walmart here in canada - their no name brand was 5.25% at 97 cents a gallon - this year it jumped to 1.30 gallon, but still teh best bargain in town, and yes, the only comment I get in the checkout line with my shopping cart full of bleach is usually from the cute soccer mom behind me asking me if i'd like to do her...... house that is.....

[Wayne LaBanca]

Around here, Namco sells 5 gallon carboys of 12.5% for 13.90 tax included so I would have to be able to get 6% bleach for 1.39 a gallon tax included to break it even. So far, no joy.

I would pay even a bit more for the convenience, Namco does not supply the spigot to go on top so the first pour is pretty hairy.

Dumb move for the season: spilled some on the deck steps, not thinking I just wiped it over the edge with my hand, whoa boy did that heat up fast! Good thing I was near the pool to plunge my hand in.

[Robin N]

What do you tell the pool guys when they ask what type of chlorine are you using? I just made my first trip into the pool store and was confronted with that question.

Just curious!

[waterbear]

What do you tell the pool guys when they ask what type of chlorine are you using? I just made my first trip into the pool store and was confronted with that question.

Just curious! Tell them you use sodium hypochlorite or liquid chlorine. If they ask the percentage tell them 6% because it has a longer shelf life. Just don't tell them it's Ultra Bleach!

[CarlD]

Tell them you use sodium hypochlorite or liquid chlorine. If they ask the percentage tell them 6% because it has a longer shelf life. Just don't tell them it's Ultra Bleach!

This IS, of course, the perfect answer! The recommended on

Unless you want to bug them, which doesn't bother me!:D I have 9 different pool stores I can frequent so I don't care. Besides, I've spent enough in most of them that if they are offended, it's THEIR loss!

Rule 1: The customer is always right.
Rule 2: When the customer is wrong, see Rule 1.
Rule 3: When the customer is STILL wrong, the customer is an ex-customer. But this leads to Rule 4, which is:
Rule 4: One "Aw, NUTZ!" un-does ten "Atta Boy!"s.