# Oxi Clean?



## RkyMtnWine (Nov 6, 2008)

Noticed that quite a few of you experienced winemakers refer to using Oxi Clean for cleaning your equipment prior to sanitizing. I stopped at two stores to get this product and the only oxi clean I could find was in the laundry soap area.... nothing in all purpose cleaners. I picked up a small container but it appears more for laundry... but it does state that it is used grease and grime, outdoor items and decks.. Is this the one you guys use?


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## grapeman (Nov 6, 2008)

It is likely the same one others use. It is an all-purpose oxygen based cleaner product. B-Brite and One-Step are related products and they all do a great job in cleansing.


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## PeterZ (Nov 6, 2008)

Yes, that is the oxyclean we use. It's primarily marketed for laundry, but it is an organic peroxide that is an excellent cleaner. It comes two ways. Basic Oxyclean is a white powder. That is the one you want to use. It is also sold with little blue crystals in it. The blue crystals are a fragrance. You don't want to use that one.


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## RkyMtnWine (Nov 6, 2008)

Well Drat!!! The one I picked up has those blue crystals in... guess I could pick them out... geeze. Back to the store.


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## gaudet (Nov 6, 2008)

You can also find Sun brand cleaner at the Dollar General or Family Dollar stores. Its a cheaper alternative of the same product.


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## smurfe (Nov 6, 2008)

Yes, we use the Oxy Clean form the laundry isle. It is sometime tough to find the Oxy Free. You can use the Oxy with the crystals in it to clean glass and stainless but don't use it on plastic.As Gaudet mentioned if you can find Sun Brand cleaner it is an off brand of the same stuff and doesn't have the flavor crystals in it. It is cheaper as well. I can get it at Wal Mart but is actually cheaper at Dollar General stores around here.


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## Waldo (Nov 7, 2008)

Does the Sun brand work as well as the Oxy Clean?


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## gaudet (Nov 7, 2008)

I bought two used carboys that were previously used for beer making. They had some debris and a few stains. I used it on both of them and they cleaned to perfection as far as I can tell. Smurfe first recommended it to me.


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## smurfe (Nov 7, 2008)

Waldo, I think the Sun works just fine. I tend to dump an extra scoop in when I use it but it is a whole lot cheaper and lots of the time it is the only kind I can find that is scent free. It's some good stuff. I have used it in flasks I have burnt extract in making starters, on my boil pot after boil overs and getting the wort baked on, etc. and it cleans them up just fine.


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## NorthernWinos (Nov 7, 2008)

I used Sun brand on a carboy yesterday that had some build up from our water that has lots of calcium...It was sparkling bright in no time....


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## Waldo (Nov 7, 2008)

Good enough testimony for me


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## RkyMtnWine (Nov 8, 2008)

OK, made a trip to the dollar store. Check this out... reading the instructions makes me think I should toss a load of clothes in with the equipment.


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## gaudet (Nov 8, 2008)

This is the brand I am referring to. The one I get comes in a margarine type container. Not quite as big at the image at this link.

http://images-cdn01.associatedcontent.com/image/A1839/183967/470_183967.jpg


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## Wade E (Nov 8, 2008)

That looks more like a laundry detergent but not sure what the difference would be so hopefully someone else chimes in here that knows of the product you bought. I use the Oxi and what Gaudet has posted and never seen anything in the box.


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## RkyMtnWine (Nov 8, 2008)

Yeah, I think I got the wrong stuff again... The dollar store did not have what Gaudet showed. Oh well... soap is soap.. Right? just use something generic without fragrance or all those other goodies in it.


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## NorthernWinos (Nov 8, 2008)

OxyClean and the Sun Oxygen Cleaner is NOT soap.

Use your boxed stuff in your laundry and get the Oxygen Cleaner for you wine stuff....We don't want soap in our winemaking stuff.....


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## gaudet (Nov 8, 2008)

My sun cleaner is suggested use of adding a scoop to every laundry load.


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## RkyMtnWine (Nov 8, 2008)

Hey George !!!!!!! Do you carry this dang cleaner???


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## smurfe (Nov 8, 2008)

RkyMtnWine said:


> OK, made a trip to the dollar store. Check this out... reading the instructions makes me think I should toss a load of clothes in with the equipment.




That is laundry detergent. Sun has an entire line of cleaning products. What Gaudet posted is the oxygen based cleaner. What you posted is soap. You can add the oxygen cleaner to laundry as well to boost the cleaning power of the soap/detergent you use. 


George sells active oxygen cleaners. B-Brite, Easy Clean, and One Step are all oxygen based cleaners and all work very well. Look at this page for those type cleaners.


http://www.finevinewines.com/Home-Wine-Making-Cleaning-Supplies.asp


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## grapeman (Nov 8, 2008)

I like the B-Brite. It cleans very well and I just buy it by the 5 pound bag. I have used the One-Step also and it works just as well but comes in smaller packages and is fairly pricey by the pound(although it goes a long ways). Any of them will take the purple stains right off the primaries, etc.


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## Wade E (Nov 8, 2008)

Straight A is also very good and does wonders on taking tough labels off bottles with a good soak that some other cleaners just wont handle. i buy that in a 5 lb. bag too.


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## RkyMtnWine (Nov 9, 2008)

Plan is to bottle the strawberry wine in the morning... I've been stalling. Stopped at 3 different grocery stores and none had the oxi clean or the proper sun brand cleaner. Neighbor makes beer and he gave me a container of Five Star PBW cleaner... do you know anything about this product?


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## smurfe (Nov 9, 2008)

PBW will clean just fine and do the job Oxi Clean will. It is a cleaner, not a sanitizer. It is a fine product.5 Star products are great quality. I use their sanitizer Star San for most all of my sanitizing needs. I occasionally use PBW as well.


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## RkyMtnWine (Nov 9, 2008)

Thanks Smurfe. info and directions were not that clear on the container. Would you say 1 oz per gallon of hot water.


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## Wade E (Nov 9, 2008)

Do you have a Walmart around there as thats where the Sun brand is found. I find it amazing that none of the stores carry Oxi as its the biggest thing since sliced bread!


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## RkyMtnWine (Nov 9, 2008)

they carry the oxi clean but with fragrance. dollar store had the sun brand but not the type I need


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## smurfe (Nov 9, 2008)

RkyMtnWine said:


> Thanks Smurfe. info and directions were not that clear on the container. Would you say 1 oz per gallon of hot water.




That would work fine. You actually don't have to add that much but I usually add a 3-4 scoops to a 5 gallon batch. It works like Oxi Clean as it is an oxygen cleaner. I tend to add more Oxi or Sun than is needed though. If you have something really gunky just let it soak over night. It will be spotless the next day.


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## AAASTINKIE (Nov 9, 2008)

Hey Rocky, for what it's worth, I've been making wine for 3 1/2 years and have never used any soap or cleaner on my gear, I just wash with water and a rag and sanitize before and after use. (this may explain why my beer primarys are all brown, I might need some oxyclean myself?)


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## RkyMtnWine (Nov 9, 2008)

Thanks Smurfe... should be ready to bang pots, pans and glass bottles in the morning.. appreciate the info


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## suprasteve (Nov 13, 2008)

quick stupid question, Easy Clean says it's a no-rinse cleanser on the label, but you guys say it cleans with oxygen, so does that mean if there was residue on the inside of a bottle from it during bottling it could oxidize the wine? Is it not enough to really matter or different reaction or what?


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## Wade E (Nov 13, 2008)

It is a cleaner, you should be sanitizing afterwards with k-meta or some other kind of sanitizer after cleaning.


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## smikes (Nov 14, 2008)

While on this cleaning topic....


Tell me if this is overkill,


I empty the wine from carboy,rince well with hot water,Fill with 6 scoops oxyclean and let sit 1/2 hour, clean as well as carboy brush will allow,drain rinse with hot water,pour 1/2 gall. of sanitizer in and dance for a minute,leave 1/4 in bottom and cover with clingwrap.


Then before I use carboy, I empty sanitizer, add 1 gallon of cleaner,shake good ,empty,rinse and sanitize again. Between the carboys and cleaning equipment,, I really go through cleaner and Kmet.I don't want to chance anything spoiling my wine before it has a chance to be born!




Is this overkill, or am I too clean?


I have a spray bottle with kmet that I use on equipment that might have sat for 10 min before I use it.....


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## gaudet (Nov 14, 2008)

Nothing wrong with OCD Dr. Crane






I clean carboy with oxi, slosh it well, scrub it for about 5 minutes, rinse well, then put some k-meta solution in for 10 minutes, drain it after sloshing it over all surfaces and letting the fumes do their magic, then return the precious wine back to the carboy with a new sanitized airlock.


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## grapeman (Nov 14, 2008)

If glass is visibly clean, overclean is just wasting time and money IMHO. I like you rinse twice with hot water and if there is any residue, I fill the carboy and run the carboy brush around it to remove the scum. If there is stubborn residue, use the oxi-clean "whatever name", rinse. If no residue, I skip the step. I give it a quick drain and then ad 1 inch of sanitzer, put in a solid bung and quickly coat all glass. Then I put an airlock on it and it is ready to use next time. If it is more than 2 months between use, dump out the old sanitizer and rinse with new sanitizer before use. 


I find plastic gets stained easily- fill with water and put in a couple small scoops of oxi-clean and it removes the stains after sitting a few hours to overnight.


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## yankeewinemaker (Nov 14, 2008)

Do you guys use the Oxi-clean Versatile or the Oxi-Clean Free? I think the versatile has the blue particles in it, which I whink someone said is fragrance? I think the free is fragrant free. I can only get the free in a large tub. The versatile is in smaller packaging.


Thanks.


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## Waldo (Nov 15, 2008)

Oxi-Clean Free is the one you want to use yankee


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## yankeewinemaker (Nov 15, 2008)

Thanks Waldo. I appreciate the help.


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## smurfe (Nov 16, 2008)

smikes said:


> While on this cleaning topic....
> 
> 
> Tell me if this is overkill,
> ...




If it establishes rigid hygiene practices and you can afford it then there is nothing wrong with it. I will say it is definitely overkill though. The only thing I would probably change is the adding sanitizer after you clean after use. I normally wash my stuff after using and put away as I will clean again before use and sanitize. 


Many try to scare you into thinking you have to have compete sterility in winemaking. You will never have anything sterile and in reality you don't want sterile. You want your stuff sanitary. Seriously. Just keep your stuff clean and your work area clean and you won't have problems. Clean your stuff after you use it and not just throw it in a drawer or bucket after use and clean it again before you use it and sanitize and you will be fine. The spray bottle of K-Mwta is an excellent way to sanitize after cleaning clean equipment.


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