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searching for biocide for smelly glaze

updated sat 14 oct 00

 

Nanci Bishof on wed 11 oct 00


Try clorox bleach. A little drop works wonders. Hospitals use very dilute
solutions. vinegar works wonders on pseudomonas bacteria, they're really
smelly. Lives in water. Its the ph change.

Jeremy/Bonnie Hellman on wed 11 oct 00


----------
From: Jeremy/Bonnie Hellman
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2000 20:05:47 -0400
To:
Subject: Re: Searching for Biocide for Smelly Glaze

Hi Dave,

How about old fashioned chlorine bleach, like Chlorox? It's inexpensive and
available, and the best part of all is that when left exposed to the air for
any time, I believe it degrades and it's quite safe after it degrades. My
understanding is that it reacts to make sodium chloride (salt). Chlorox and
the like aren't really chlorine, Cl2. They're something else with a
different active chloride ingredient.

I use it when my scrap clay has gotten black and smelly-- just dump some in,
watch the bacteria disappear, and wait until the stuff dissipates. You don't
want to stick your hands in water immediately after you add Chlorox, but you
can tell when it's dissipated because you don't smell it any more. And, of
course, you don't smell those nasty organics.

Bonnie


> From: Dave Finkelnburg
> Reply-To: Ceramic Arts Discussion List
> Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2000 13:42:57 -0600
> To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
> Subject: Searching for Biocide for Smelly Glaze
>
> I am using some local materials which contain organics and in the bucket the
> glaze tends to go septic and get all smelly! :-( I tend to have the same
> problem when I use CMC as a hardener. Does someone have experience with a
> biocide which will kill the bacteria in my glaze without being a health
> hazard? Thanks in advance!
> Dave Finkelnburg in Idaho
>
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Dave Finkelnburg on wed 11 oct 00


I am using some local materials which contain organics and in the bucket the
glaze tends to go septic and get all smelly! :-( I tend to have the same
problem when I use CMC as a hardener. Does someone have experience with a
biocide which will kill the bacteria in my glaze without being a health
hazard? Thanks in advance!
Dave Finkelnburg in Idaho

Michelle Moody on thu 12 oct 00


Try using clorox or another bleach. When I was a paramedic we used a 10:1
solution of water (10) and bleach (1) to clean the ambulance when we ran out
of the good stuff ($$.)
It doesn't take a lot of bleach to kill the growys in the glaze or clay.
When I was making my own paperclay at school I would put a cup of bleach in
the water/paper mixture before I added it to the dry ingredients. I kept my
batches around for about a month moist and ready to use and had no problems
with funky aromas.

> > I am using some local materials which contain organics and in the bucket
the
> > glaze tends to go septic and get all smelly! :-( I tend to have the
same
> > problem when I use CMC as a hardener. Does someone have experience with
a
> > biocide which will kill the bacteria in my glaze without being a health
> > hazard? Thanks in advance!
> > Dave Finkelnburg in Idaho

Cindy Strnad on thu 12 oct 00


About using chlorine bleach to kill bacteria in glaze, etc.

Yes, it will definitely do the job. I just wanted to point out you don't
need much. A capful or even less should do just fine for a 5 gallon bucket
of glaze--this is powerful stuff. And of course, you can always add more.

Caveat: I haven't tried using chlorine bleach for glaze--just for water
applications, and a capful would be more than adequate for a 5 gallon bucket
of water. It's my experience that most folks add way, way too much. So start
small, guys, okay?

Cindy Strnad
Earthen Vessels Pottery
RR 1, Box 51
Custer, SD 57730
USA
earthenv@gwtc.net
http://www.earthenvesselssd.com

Pancioli on thu 12 oct 00


I put about a quarter cup of chlorine bleach in a five gallon pail of
smelly glaze. It works.

Diana

Jeff Campana on thu 12 oct 00


I had a really funky batch of Ohata Kahki, handed down from previous students.
Knowing that Hydrogen Peroxide kills germs in cuts, I tried it in the glaze. I
used two bottles for a five gallon batch, and now, although not fresh smelling, I
don't gag when hunching over the bucket glazing and stirring. I chose peroxide,
HO, thinking it would have no effect on the chemical composition of the glaze.

Also, I thought bleach would work, but maybe the sodium(or whatever) in the bleach
could cause flocculation and add uncalculable solubles, thus causing a more
serious problem than just smell. If smell really matters, and you want to use
bleach, they now make lemon and "mountain breeze" flavored bleach, that could
smell nice......

Jeff Campana

Amy Ramsey on thu 12 oct 00


Dave,

Have you ever tried grapefruit seed extract? One trade name is NutriBiotic,
and I swear, this stuff will kill ANYTHING. I add a few drops to my
throwing water-blood poisoning just once was enough to convince me that not
all clay related "buggies" are nice.

The grapefruit seed extract is an antimicrobial agent, you can even clean
your toothbrush with it. I have always found it at the health food store.
It's about 10 dollars for a about 4 oz.

Best of luck

Amy Ramsey

-----Original Message-----
From: Dave Finkelnburg [mailto:dfinkeln@CYBERHIGHWAY.NET]
Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2000 12:43 PM
Subject: Searching for Biocide for Smelly Glaze

I am using some local materials which contain organics and in the bucket the
glaze tends to go septic and get all smelly! :-( I tend to have the same
problem when I use CMC as a hardener. Does someone have experience with a
biocide which will kill the bacteria in my glaze without being a health
hazard? Thanks in advance!
Dave Finkelnburg in Idaho

Janet Kaiser on fri 13 oct 00


Wow! I am getting Clay Art mail again! What a
relief!

As for "environmentally friendly" help for
smelly glaze and slip... Has anyone tried lemon
or orange oil? Both are used in "alternative"
bio-products and kill off germs because of their
high antibacterial qualities.

I would personally prefer the smell of lemons
and/or oranges to wintergreen and the likes. And
they smell nothing like the synthetic citrus
pongs in manufactured products. They are the
"real thing". Bergamot is delightful.

Janet Kaiser - Glad to hear Kurt is not taking
up bungee jumping without the rope as a new
hobby. But wonder what were they doing
staggering along the road at 11 p.m....
Obviously been out on the tiles. Those naughty
old codgers... And we all thought they were
safely tucked up in their beds down at the Farm.
News travels fast in this global village you
know boys!

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