Long-term storage of bleach/disinfectants

**PAMedic=F|A=** · April 10th, 2020, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by qmcorps

Pool shock, or Calcium Hypochlorite granules, is a better solution for long term storage of bleach and portability. You can use the granules to disinfect larger amounts of water, like the emergency water in your rain barrel.
Calcium Hypochlorite stores for years without losing is effectiveness.

This exactly I believe I posted in a thread similar to this links to conversations over at survivalist boards.com as well as the links they had there for proper mixing ratios to make household bleach so then you could follow normal bleach directions for disinfecting water. Just be careful when you get poor shock that it is straight calcium chloride, and does not have any other additives such as antifungal which may not be safe.

**PAMedic=F|A=** · April 10th, 2020, 11:59 AM

It is also worth remembering the calcium chloride offgases so you do not want to put it in an airtight container because it will explode. Do you also do not want to put it in any sort of metal container I believe the general consensus is that a vented glass container is best in the area with some airflow and which will not negatively react to other stored chemicals.

I’ve read reports of unfortunate things that have happened when larger amounts were stored In a shed with equipment

**Dave_n** · April 10th, 2020, 03:41 PM

Please guys. Calcium hypochlorite not chloride. CaCl2 is what you use to melt ice. The old chemist in me shudders at the listing of the wrong halogen. Dave_n

**Frizratz** · April 10th, 2020, 07:29 PM

My friend burned his shed to the ground after relocating his pool filter and all the chlorine and other pool additives into the shed along with his mower and gasoline cans.
A nice hot summer day and off gassing made for an exciting afternoon.

**dannyb** · April 14th, 2020, 11:00 AM

Clorox also puts out bleach packets (dry) for laundry. Apparently 1 packet to a gallon of water = disinfectant if I read it right online. I am trying to verify whether these are stable as they are dry powder.

**KPShooting** · April 15th, 2020, 09:35 AM

If you're looking to store liquid bleach for the long term, swapping to a better container will be a good idea. I had a container in my basement for probably 3-4 years and the side split and it leaked everywhere. Wasn't bumped or anything. When I got the remnants into the sink, the side of the bottle was paper thin and flaked to pieces. I wouldn't trust one of the gallon containers to keep for longer than a year or two.