# Adding bleach to stored water, anyone actually tried to drink it?



## newtopreppin (Jul 25, 2021)

They say to add x amount of bleach to your stored water to keep it fresh, but wouldnt that make it taste bad? Anyone actually drank some later on after adding it? How was it? Thanks.


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## CapitalKane49p (Apr 7, 2020)

Tastes like crap, ingested it many times over the years. It sucks but dying of thirst would be worse. 
Godspeed


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

Depending on concentration and storage time, your standard household bleach will degrade into a salt solution fairly rapidly.
It will lose it's potency at a rate of ~20% per year, even in its original unopened container. Bleach has a shelf life. Pay attention to it.

Once your water has been disinfected, it doesn't need any additional treating if you keep it sealed.
At the recommended mix ratios, you shouldn't taste any bleach after a few months. The salts will still be present though.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

I transfer water with added bleach to an open tub and allow it to off-gas for 24 hours. Or pour the water back and forth into another container, to accomplished the same. Takes a lot of pouring. After 24 hours, you can barely smell/taste the chlorine.


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

Oh, I don't know. I've wondered if putting a little Vodka into the mix wouldn't be just as good and probably kill of the germs.

Then again, I've seen my parents' friends drink, and they mix drinks *by the quart*...


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## 7515 (Aug 31, 2014)

Tastes like pool water or better depending on how long it’s sat

BoF


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## Any Beastie (Mar 19, 2021)

Don't you only need like a drop of bleach?


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## Robie (Jun 2, 2016)

One of the main "ingredients" in my shtf ideology is fire.
I fully intend to boil water...whenever I can.


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## Alteredstate (Jul 7, 2016)

Kauboy said:


> Depending on concentration and storage time, your standard household bleach will degrade into a salt solution fairly rapidly.
> It will lose it's potency at a rate of ~20% per year, even in its original unopened container. Bleach has a shelf life. Pay attention to it.
> 
> Once your water has been disinfected, it doesn't need any additional treating if you keep it sealed.
> At the recommended mix ratios, you shouldn't taste any bleach after a few months. The salts will still be present though.


Umm, I label everything with a sharpie marker, we have had clorox in bottles in the basement for ten plus years, with no change at all


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

Ten years.... it's changed.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

Alteredstate said:


> Umm, I label everything with a sharpie marker, we have had clorox in bottles in the basement for ten plus years, with no change at all


Chemistry doesn't change, my friend.
That solution was already 80-90% water at best. At worst, you had maybe 2-3% bleach in it.
After 10 years, that water has broken down that bleach to nearly imperceptible effectiveness.


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## Goin Home (Aug 15, 2021)

Box of frogs be makin people jumpy!


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

I'm with Kauboy on this. Everything in life seems to degenerate into out-and-out junk, that is, unless you tell the bleary eyed collector you have a "first addition."

Then again, this is the overall problem with prepping. We have chosen a hobby that gives us the best chance to avoid danger and death. And if we are hauling large amounts of water some of it is going to go foul in storage or just leak out. Even in superior containers our water is going to heat up during travels or in vehicles. Did Mad Max ever stop his souped up car to take a swig?


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