Post from Facebook group

[pipsqueak]

I posted this on the Facebook group earlier today.


After seeing multiple references, in multiple groups, that hot water "deactivates" bleach and reading instructions from Fluff Love recommending diapers be rinsed in hot water to "deactivate" any residual bleach I started asking what temperature is hot water - something that apparently no one knows. Since the information from Clorox was deemed "unreliable" because it seems to contradict government information I asked the CDC for clarification. The response I received is

"While household bleach can effectively disinfect in both cold and lukewarm water, it may reach peak activation at higher temperatures. The CDC recommends that household water thermostats be to no more than 120°F to prevent scalding injuries in children, and bleach diluted in water at temperature is appropriate for effective disinfection.

Feel free to contact us if you have any additional questions.

Thanks,
CDC Healthy Water"

In addition, the only reference to I could find for the temperature at which bleach is deactivated is at the boiling point of bleach - 214 degrees Fahrenheit.

The only conclusion I can logically reach is that the reference from the health department about hot water degrading bleach is in the context of instructing medical facilities, which could have hot water heaters and other equipment set to produce water that is significantly hotter, closer to the boiling point of water - about 90+ degrees hotter than the water flowing from residential faucets.

In addition, what I haven't posted on Facebook is that I sent a response back asking them to review the Fluff Love bleaching instructions since their reach has grown to over 120,000 members on the FLCDS group alone so that even if the CDC doesn't have the ability to publish recommendations for when/why to disinfect diapers at a minimum accurate instructions for how to disinfect are being provided to cloth diapering parents.

[pipsqueak]

Unfortunately, the CDC can't/won't review the bleaching instructions since they don't have a set of recommendations.

I did find it interesting, one of the moms that started the compendium commented that the bleach soak was recommended by Clorox for the thick, multi layer diapers. How it became necessary for everything and most every situation idk though.

[freezorburn]

Maybe the lack of recommendations in and of itself is interesting/significant

[pipsqueak]

Oct 17, 2017 0:24:46 GMT -5 freezorburn said:

Maybe the lack of recommendations in and of itself is interesting/significant

Yes.  I mean I did find it interesting that in their recommendations for cleaning up after a flood they recommend washing all laundry like normal - no special treatment was necessary.  Not to mention that people have been using cloth diapers for longer than the CDC has been in existence and yet the CDC has no recommendations for washing or disinfecting them. To me that indicates that special treatment is rarely, if ever, needed.  Modern cloth diapers have been around for about 25ish years - plenty of time for them to develop recommendations if in fact needed for the differences between modern diapers and old fashioned flats and prefolds.