Residue from Oxi Clean

[Middo]

After reading several posts about cleaning products I decided to try the cheaper option and get some oxi clean from Poundland. I used it to soak my pressure barrels and some bottles and it seemed to do a good job at removing stains, grime and also the labels from the bottles. However, one time I left some bottles soaking for over 24 hours and when I came to rinse them they were covered in a weird residue that was totally invisible but felt like abrasive cleaner and couldn't be rinsed off and had to be wiped off.

Has anyone else had a similar experience with cheap oxi cleaners? Should I just fork out the extra cash and get some Chemipro Oxi or PBW?

[BeerEagle]

This will come off in a quick soak in something acidic.

I use Star-San and it just dissolves off (renders the Star-San ineffective after a while)

Lemon juice should do the job as well.

[jmc]

I use oxi to clean, then i rinse a few times and finish off with star san to sanitise and remove any trace of oxi.
Only time I've hd oxy leave a sediment is when I've left it for more than a couple of days.

Hot water and acid shift it. Oxy after a while is mostly washing soda.
Mostly sodium carbonate so an acid will dissolve it.

[Middo]

Right, thanks for the tips. I also use StarSan but didn't try soaking the bottles in it. Will stick with Oxi for now then

[Rookie]

I had a white residue from a store brand of oxy cleaner several years ago so I did what any right thinking brewer would I bought some even cheaper oxy cleaner at the Dollarstore. It works geat.
You may want to give one or two other generic oxy cleaners a go before going back to the expensive stuff.
The part of me that's Scottish cringes at paying 5 or 6 bucks for brand name oxy cleaner marketed to home brewers when the one buck stuff works just as well.

[Martin G]

Have just bought some own brand to use when I get my new shiney set up working, SWMBO even said well remembered when I put it on the checkout, apparently it was on the shopping list! Will just sneek some out for beer uses and say no more! Anyone be able to advise me how much to use and it it ok on copper, brass and steel?

[Middo]

I use about 1 scoop for every 5L, depending on how dirty the equipment is. For soaking bottles I use less and for soaking my barrels I use more. As far as reactivity with metals, I used it in my boiler once and it turned the element a strange pinkish colour. The boiler still works OK but I now use it only on plastic and glass.

[kebabman]

Does Oxi clean sanitise as well as clean?

[Martin G]

Thanks for the pointer about the element, bit worrying without an explanation.
Think there is a thread about a brand of oxi with a claim about sanitising on here somewhere, will have a hunt.

[Kev888]

Re the deposits, I asked a similar question recently here and Graham came up with a great idea, I've not had chance to try it yet, though. (my percarbonate cleaner would probably be quite similar to the oxy stuff).

Cheers
kev

[Rookie]

Thanks for the pointer about the element, bit worrying without an explanation.
Think there is a thread about a brand of oxi with a claim about sanitising on here somewhere, will have a hunt.

Take this with a grain of salt: several years ago I read somewhere that it's supposed to sanitize also, but the costs of government testing to approve the claim of sanitization was too much to make it worthwhile.

[Middo]

I wouldn't have thought it would go so far as sanitising; I just it for cleaning and stick with Star San for sanitising.