Keeping sodium percarbonate and metasilicate?

[Kev888]

Hi all,

just perusing ebay; sodium percarbonate and sodium metasilicate are actually quite cheap in bulk compared to smaller quantities - I'm thinking of getting enough to last me a year or two.

But I'm imagining they'll just be in a bag or something - does anyone know if they'll keep well, or is this another foolish idea?

Many thanks
Kev

[AnthonyUK]

Combine this with the offer on the recent thread of some large plastic buckets with lids (10 for £4.99) and it should keep for ages.

[Kev888]

Ah yes, that could be helpful. I've got some clamp top barrels as well, which may make a better seal perhaps.

Cheers
Kev

[Wolfy]

I purchased sodium percarbonate in bulk about 3 years ago, since then it's been kept in the laundry in a plastic pail with a lid.
There has been no change in appearance or effectiveness - that I can tell.
I was told it was 'coated sodium percarbonate' (but have no idea what that means) and that as such it would be expected to have a long(er) shelf-life.

[Kev888]

Thanks - thats useful, think its worth a try then, though the stuff I found didn't mention being coated.
I guess its so much cheaper than smaller batches that even if it deteriorates towards the end I'll probably still get my moneys' worth.

Cheers
Kev

[Kev888]

Right, its a done deal - have ordered it; here ends many many months of dithering about which CIP cleaners to buy!

My plan is to mix 2:1 percarbonate:metasilicate - I'm hoping that it will go some way towards the performance of products like PBW but at more like the price of supermarket soda crystals. Partly because I'm tight anyway and partly because I'm probably going to make up enough to soak my tanks rather than spray them now; a recent trial showed spraying to be tricky with poor fitting lids, so it seems easier to just fill them.

Cheers,
kev

[Wolfy]

I soak (mostly) everything in sodium percarbonate & hot water with a drop of dish-washing liquid to act as a surfactant, works well.
But will be very interested to know how how mixing it with metasilicate works for you.

[boingy]

Right, its a done deal

Woah! Steady there, Kev. If you keep making decisions you might run out of stuff to worry about!

[Kev888]

Thats good to know Wolfy, I've been using plain percarbonate for a while too and found it more effective than soda crystals, I'm going to try combining with some metasilicate because (aside from it apparently being noted for cleaning abilities) a few people seem to think this combo is on the way to a PBW-like mix. In smaller quantities it could get expensive though, hence the bulk buy - £painful initially but should hopefully last me for a couple of years and rival soda crystals for cost per pint.

Don't be concerned, Boingy, everytime I manage to make any sort of decision it immediately raises new questions to dither about!! I'm a lot happier with mechanical/electrical stuff than anything involving chemistry though, so I'll be glad to have this one sorted anyway!

Cheers
Kev