I seem to remember reading somewhere on the forum about bleach having a limited shelf life. How long can bleach sit before its effectiveness is reduced enough to be an issue? How about shelf life for borax and baking soda? I'd like to purchase several months supply but don't want to have any problems.

Also, is it necessary to buy the big Taylor K2006 test kit when they offer a smaller "5 Way Basic Test Kit" which covers free and total chlorine, pH, alkalinity and bromine. It would seem the bigger kit is overkill. ??

Thanks in advance!