Bleach Dilution Ratio

[midwestchilehead]

Greetings. I have always bleach treated my seeds after harvesting to kill any seed-borne nasties. All commercial bleaches used to be about a 5% sodium hypochlorite solution, so to get to my desired concentration (3%), I used 3 parts water to 2 parts bleach. However, Clorox has recently begun selling a more concentrated bleach which is an 8.25% solution. I've never been a math or chemistry whiz. How much water do I need to add it to to reach a 3% solution?

 

[N8thaniel]

U can just add 1.8x bottle volume to get it in the ball park

Ie if it's in a 1 l add an extra 1.8L

 

[cloose]

Greetings. I have always bleach treated my seeds after harvesting to kill any seed-borne nasties. All commercial bleaches used to be about a 5% sodium hypochlorite solution, so to get to my desired concentration (3%), I used 3 parts water to 2 parts bleach. However, Clorox has recently begun selling a more concentrated bleach which is an 8.25% solution. I've never been a math or chemistry whiz. How much water do I need to add it to to reach a 3% solution?

 
1 part of 8.25% bleach to 1.75 parts waters get you to your desired 3%. To keep it simple, mix 1 part of 8.25% bleach with 2 parts water and your concentration will be 2.75%.
 
btw - with the 5% bleach, mixing 3 parts water to 2 parts bleach actually yields a 2% solution. 

 

[winland]

1. Disinfecting Bleach Solution (use for disinfecting hard, non-porous surfaces like sinks, showers, bathtubs, countertops, glazed tile, vinyl, floors)—Wash, wipe, or rinse surface to be disinfected with water. Add ½ cup Concentrated Clorox® Regular-Bleach to 1 gallon water; apply bleach solution to surface; let stand 5 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and air dry.
2. Sanitizing Bleach Solution (use for sanitizing hard, non-porous items like dishes, plastic ware, glassware, stainless steel flatware, and pet’s food and water dishes, to name a few)—Wash items thoroughly with detergent and rinse. Add 2 teaspoons Concentrated Clorox® Regular-Bleach to 1 gallon cool water; soak items for 2 minutes, then drain and air dry (note that with this application there is no rinsing!).
 
Clorox Seed Treatment for Tomato and Pepper
Seed may be treated by washing 40 mins. w/continuous agitation in 1 part Clorox liquid bleach (5.25% sodium hypochlorite) to 4 parts water (i.e. 1 pint Clorox plus 4 pints water). Rinse seed in clean water immediately after removal from the Clorox solution and promptly dry. Germination may be compromised if washing time exceeds 40 mins.
 
There are many methods of seed preparation ranging from rinsing with hot water or soaking in hot hydrogen peroxide, to washing with vinegar, a diluted bleach solution, or grapefruit seed extract. The current recommendation to use in the home from the University of California-Davis is to treat seed by heating on a stove for 5 minutes in a solution of 3% hydrogen peroxide (available in drug stores and pharmacies) at 140°F. It is important to maintain this temperature using a clean, accurate cooking thermometer. Exceeding this temperature may damage or kill seeds resulting in poor germination. Remove seed and rinse under running room temperature water for 1 minute. Discard the hydrogen peroxide and do not reuse. For more information see the publication 8151 Growing Sprouts at Home.