Wise Toad said:

A 1:10 ratio of bleach:distilled water has been said to work, regular water will degrade the bleach which is why I say distilled

There was some other one I read about thats said to be much better than alcohol, its iodine based I believe iodorol or something; anybody know what that is

BTW about your gloves, they dont look like latex or kitchen gloves; what type are they. My latex gloves are always tearing and the kitchen gloves are too rigid for mycology but those look like a happy medium

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RogerRabbit said:

I routinely dip outdoor clones in ten percent bleach to kill bacteria.  It doesn't hurt the mushroom mycelium or the molds present, so yea, I'm sure.  I've also used bleach in many different concentrations on the black mold growing around my bathtub and window sills.  Other than bleaching the black spores white, it doesn't bother the mold mycelium.
RR

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Would be nice or figure something to add to the bleach and distilled water that would also kill the mold.

The gloves I am using are - Aloetouch Ultra, by Medline.
I got them from a medical supply store.
They are made from Polyvinyl chloride.




As you suggested, I am definitely going to try dipping the jars in a 10% bleach solution prior to inoculating the jars. Like I have heard it said, the more steps one takes in sterile techniques the better.

I still will use the alcohol to sterile my gloves, however I shall be trying to find something that is less flammable.

I am going to pick some iodine up too, and explore using that as well.

thanks for your input

King Cap said:

I dont know if acetone is flammable or not. Just thought I'd throw that in in case it would help

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Wise Toad said:

Oh damn, it is most definitely flammable

I poured some in a dip dish I use to make changa with and lit it on fire. That little bit burned for a good minute and wouldnt go out if I blew on it

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myc0nob said:

On topic:
I'd suppose a bleach+h2o2 mix be good enough ?

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Wise Toad said:

What kinda iodine?


Thanks for the glove info, have any ripped and how flexible are they?

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Shroomzilla said:

70% iso or pure denatured..doesn't matter, as long as it burns clean it will work, its just a matter of what you have on hand.

Surface disinfection is another matter all together. Alcohol is actually a rather poor at killing spores. Other chemicals like chlorine bleach, iodine, or ammonium chloride are better for surface disinfection. 80% iso alcohol requires 10 minutes contact time to kill 99% of encysted spores...simply wiping don't cut it.

I use tamed iodine [like Betadine] to clean any mixing containers, jars, syringes, anything where you want it clean with ZERO residue. You can get Betadine brand at the drug store, brew shops sell the same stuff under various brands. This is the orange stuff they scrub your skin with before surgery or inserting an IV, also used for cleaning and soaking instruments. Kills 'bout everything but is safe enough to apply to the skin, only drawback is that it will stain any porus surface unless wiped off very well, stains will wash out of clothes.

For countertops/ floors/ sinks I use a quaternary ammonium chloride solition. It comes as a dry powder, used in hospitals to clean surfaces in the operating room, ER, anywhere you need it really clean.  This stuff is a bit harder to find, I usually get it from a surplus dealer when I can [cheaper]. You can get it online from medical supply co's for about $20 for a 4lb tub [which will mix up about 120 gallons]. It kills everything [better than bleach] yet doesn't have any nasty choking fumes. It also rinses off pretty well leaving little residue, but if you leave it on, it will continue to disinfect the surface for about two weeks. I use it once a month in the shower and NEVER have a mildew problem, or that funky red basteria that can grow in areas that don't drain completely.

Most people use bleach because its cheap and readily available, but there are tons of problems with bleach. First is the smell/ fumes, it is very bad to breath this stuff at all, much less spraying it in the air like some grow guides suggest. It eventually leaves an impossible to remove residue on anything regularly cleaned with it, and is quite corossive to metal. It can also ruin some vinyl floors, and does a hasty number on any clothing it comes in contact with. It will also release poision gas if mixed with most any common household cleaners.

A note on Lysol: This stuff has been around for ages because it does work...to a point. It is quite safe on most surfaces and and does a good job of general cleaning/ disinfecting bacteria, but there are many types of mold spores it will not touch, and as we know mold spores are the #1 enemy. To be really effective [for what it will kill] it needs to be sprayed on heavy and allowed to set for at least 10 min. Spraying the air is useless, the FTC even made them remove the claim that it "disinfects the air" years ago. The only way to kill any airborne bacteria/spores is with a concentrated vapor of very, very deadly chemicals, nothing you or I could lay our hands on or would ever consider using. 

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