Re: Cleaning a vitreous enamel bath

I was thinking about this a little. Although I am definately not a chemist, and may be wrong, I'll try to answer.

I would expect that H2O2 + NaHCo3 when mixed would give off three compounds. Water (H2O) Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH)

As Carbon Dioxide is an odouless, colourless gas, that would explain that no gas emissions were noticed. Sodium Hydroxide is another name for Caustic Soda(?).

So I can understand that H&S rules have the 3% limit. Was by any chance any extra water added to dilute the mix to 3%?

It does make for one question though. As 3% is the H&s limit for cleaning purposes, why is it possible to buy 6% for bleaching hair?

Re: Cleaning a vitreous enamel bath

I would guess because it's safe to have it stronger if you are not mixing it with bi carb. Many substances are safe alone but mix them you have a toxic concoction.

Re: Cleaning a vitreous enamel bath

You must follow your rules at work otherwise you will get in to trouble just like I had to follow all the health and safety rules for hand tools but when you do things for yourself at home you have to do things cheaply and economically otherwise things just would not get done. Do you know I was not even supposed to carry a box of odd nuts and bolts in my van because of health and safety plus QA. I always carried my nuts and bolts plus spare fuses, bits of metal and even the odd tube of glue. Telling the customer you cannot fix his refrigerator because you haven't got the bits just wasn't an option. We would have to pay the stock loss and the customers would have no frozen food until the next delivery, but then, that doesn't matter to health and safety does it.
When money gets involved we have to look at things differently.

Re: Cleaning a vitreous enamel bath

If you don't mix the bicarbonate of soda it does not work.

Re: Cleaning a vitreous enamel bath

I was answering about bleaching hair, as far as I am aware no one puts bicarb on their hair

Re: Cleaning a vitreous enamel bath

No but beer is pretty good!

Re: Cleaning a vitreous enamel bath

It sure is - I may go back to trying that !

Re: Cleaning a vitreous enamel bath

I remember a guy in the local brewery who fell in a vat of beer, they say he had to climb out three times to go to the bathroom before before he finally drowned.

Re: Cleaning a vitreous enamel bath

Ooooer -

Re: Cleaning a vitreous enamel bath

That would be a waste of beer, unless of course it was french beer. In which case, the beer would not be good enough.