BUCKHORN CLIFFS

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Compounds and Cleaning

Clean, disinfect, and treat with a few stable compounds

A handful of stable, indefinite compounds cover cleaning, disinfection, pest control, and dozens of small fixes. Store them dry and sealed, and learn which ones must never meet.

Start with the full guide

Field guideChemical Compounds Field GuideAll 33 compounds on quick cards: what each one is, why to store it, how long it keeps, what it does, and what it must never touch. 29 pages.Open the field guide ReferenceFind a recipe by needAll 206 jobs the 33 compounds can do, grouped by need. Look up the job, open the recipe.Open the full page ReferenceAll 33 compounds at a glanceShelf life, the best container, and the main uses for every compound, each linked to its full page.Open the full page ToolNever-mix chart and checkerPick any two compounds or household chemicals and see if they are safe together, what happens if not, and how to store them.Open the tool

Never mix these

Calcium hypochlorite must never touch acids or vinegar (chlorine gas), ammonia (chloramine gas), or oils and glycerin (fire). Lye must never touch acids or aluminum. See the full Never-Mix Rules. Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222.

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Formulas 22

Formula Alkaline cleaning paste (borax, baking soda, washing soda) Baking soda is one of the gentlest abrasives available: hard enough to scour stuck-on food and grease, but soft enough that it will not scratch most kitchen and bathroom surfaces. Hazardous Formula All-purpose surface cleaner (pine, cinnamon, vinegar) Needles: 2-3 cups / jar; Boost: citric acid; Use: spray & wipe Handle with care Formula Ant and Roach Bait Using Borax A slow-acting colony killer that foragers carry back to the nest before they die. Handle with care Formula Bed Bug and Flea Treatment for Living Spaces Bed bugs and fleas are notoriously resistant to chemical pesticides, but they have no defense against physical desiccation. Handle with care Formula Descale and disinfect kettles and coffee makers (vinegar) Mix: 1:1 vinegar/water; Fixtures: full-strength soak; Dwell: 30 min-overnight Handle with care Formula DIY Lye from Washing Soda & Pickling Lime When commercial lye runs out, two dry powders and water still make a real caustic soda solution, the strong alkali behind soap and heavy cleaning. Hazardous Formula Drain and Pipe Clearing Solution Sodium hydroxide is one of the most effective degreasing agents available, dissolving organic blockages that baking soda and vinegar can't reach. Hazardous Formula Drain Maintenance and Grease Clog Treatment Most household drain clogs are organic: grease, soap scum, hair, and food residue layered over time. Hazardous Formula Hot degrease soak with washing soda Washing soda is far more alkaline than baking soda, around pH 11 versus 8.3, which gives it the strength to dissolve baked-on grease, carbonized food residue, and oil films that milder cleaners cannot touch. Hazardous Formula Insect Killing Powder for Indoor Pest Control A roach picks up boric acid's fine dust as it crosses a treated crack, then swallows the powder while grooming itself, and the boron goes to work as a slow stomach poison from the inside. Hazardous Formula Lime mortar and plaster (hydrated lime) Lime-based mortars and plasters predate modern cement by thousands of years and remain in use because they flex without cracking, breathe moisture, and actually harden further over decades. Hazardous Formula Make Washing Soda from Baking Soda A plain box of baking soda becomes a stronger cleaner with heat alone. Baking breaks each bicarbonate molecule apart into sodium carbonate, the compound sold as washing soda, and gives off carbon dioxide and water vapor as it goes. Handle with care Formula Mold and mildew cleaner (vinegar) Undiluted white vinegar kills many common molds on hard surfaces without the toxic fumes of bleach, though its effectiveness varies by species. Handle with care Formula Mold Prevention Spray Using Borax Borax is a boron compound, and boron disrupts the enzymes that mold and decay fungi use to feed, so a dried borax residue on a surface keeps mold from taking hold. Handle with care Formula Neutralize small acid spills with baking soda Spills: sprinkle dry soda; Terminals: disconnect neg. first; Skin: brush off, flush Hazardous Formula Oral Debriding Rinse for Sore Gums and Mouth Ulcers Diluted peroxide is what the FDA calls an oral debriding agent: it cleans. The foam lifts debris and dead tissue off a sore or an inflamed gum margin so the mouth can heal itself. It is not an antibiotic, and it does not cure a mouth infection. Handle with care Formula Paraffin Wax Seal for Jars and Bottles A wax cap over a corked or capped bottle is a backup barrier and a tamper-evident finish: it slows air and moisture from creeping past the closure and shows at a glance whether a bottle has been opened. It is a secondary seal for finished bottles, not a preservation method, and never a substitute for proper canning. Hazardous Formula Pine, cinnamon and citric acid vinegar cleaner Recipe for a white vinegar cleaner infused with pine needles and cinnamon sticks, finished with citric acid, with dilution, surfaces and shelf life. Formula Sulfur Smoke Fumigation for Storage Areas Burning a little sulfur fills a sealed room with sulfur dioxide, a sharp gas that reaches into every crack and knocks back mold, mustiness, and insects. It is an old cellar and barrel treatment, and a harsh one, so treat it as a last resort. Hazardous Formula Surface and Equipment Disinfectant Spray At about 70 percent, ethanol kills most bacteria, viruses, and fungi within seconds by unraveling their proteins and dissolving the membranes around their cells. Hazardous Formula Surface Degreaser Spray and Paste A spray bottle of washing soda solution handles the grease you cannot soak: range hood filters too large for a bucket, engine bays, workshop benches, concrete garage floors, and the baked-on splatter behind a stove. Hazardous Formula Surface disinfectant from calcium hypochlorite (pool shock) Dose: 1½ tsp / gallon; Strength: ~1,000 ppm; Dwell time: 1-10 min wet Hazardous

Compounds 28

Compound Activated Charcoal Shelf life: Indefinite if dry. Storage: Sealed glass jar. INDEFINITE IF DRYMULTI-USEHandle with care Compound Ascorbic Acid Shelf life: 5 to 10 years. Storage: Sealed, with desiccant. 5 TO 10 YEARS Compound Baking Soda Shelf life: Indefinite. Storage: Sealed HDPE or glass. INDEFINITEMULTI-USE Compound Beeswax Shelf life: Indefinite. Storage: Sealed container. INDEFINITEHazardous Compound Bentonite Clay Shelf life: Indefinite. Storage: Sealed glass or plastic. INDEFINITEHandle with care Compound Borax Shelf life: Indefinite. Storage: Sealed plastic or glass. INDEFINITEMULTI-USEHandle with care Compound Boric Acid Shelf life: Indefinite. Storage: Sealed glass or plastic. INDEFINITEMULTI-USEHazardous Compound Calcium Hydroxide Shelf life: Indefinite. Storage: Sealed glass or HDPE. INDEFINITEHazardous Compound Calcium Hypochlorite Shelf life: Up to 10 years. Storage: Glass or HDPE, sealed. UP TO 10 YEARSMULTI-USEHazardous Compound Camphor Shelf life: Indefinite. Storage: Airtight glass or tin. INDEFINITEHazardous Compound Castile Soap Shelf life: Indefinite; weeks diluted. Storage: Sealed bottle. INDEFINITE; WEEKS DILUTED Compound Citric Acid Shelf life: Indefinite. Storage: Airtight glass or plastic. INDEFINITEHandle with care Compound Cornstarch Shelf life: Indefinite. Storage: Airtight container. INDEFINITE Compound Diatomaceous Earth Shelf life: Indefinite. Storage: Sealed bucket or jar. INDEFINITEMULTI-USEHandle with care Compound Epsom Salt Shelf life: Indefinite. Storage: Airtight container. INDEFINITEMULTI-USE Compound Ethanol Shelf life: Indefinite. Storage: Sealed glass or metal. INDEFINITEHazardous Compound Glycerin Shelf life: Indefinite. Storage: Sealed glass or HDPE. INDEFINITEMULTI-USE Compound Hydrogen Peroxide Shelf life: 1 to 3 years; test it. Storage: Original dark bottle. 1 TO 3 YEARS; TEST ITHandle with care Compound Isopropyl Alcohol Shelf life: Years sealed; weakens opened. Storage: Sealed, away from flame. YEARS SEALED; WEAKENS OPENEDMULTI-USEHazardous Compound Lugol's Iodine Shelf life: 5 to 10 years. Storage: Amber glass, sealed. 5 TO 10 YEARS Compound Lye Shelf life: Indefinite. Storage: HDPE, airtight and dry. INDEFINITEMULTI-USEHazardous Compound Paraffin Wax Shelf life: Indefinite. Storage: Sealed container. INDEFINITEMULTI-USEHazardous Compound Petroleum Jelly Shelf life: Indefinite. Storage: Any sealed container. INDEFINITEMULTI-USEHazardous Compound Potassium Nitrate Shelf life: Indefinite. Storage: Sealed glass or plastic. INDEFINITEHazardous Compound Potassium Permanganate Shelf life: Indefinite. Storage: Amber glass, sealed. INDEFINITEHazardous Compound Sulfur Shelf life: Indefinite. Storage: Sealed, ventilated. INDEFINITEHazardous Compound Vinegar Shelf life: Indefinite. Storage: Sealed glass or HDPE. INDEFINITEMULTI-USE Compound Washing Soda Shelf life: Indefinite. Storage: Airtight, with desiccant. INDEFINITEHazardous

Supplies 3

Supply Creatine for strength, endurance and mental clarity Highly stable in powder form; best natural sources are wild game and red meat Supply Turpentine vs. mineral spirits Both last several years tightly sealed, away from heat, sunlight and open flames Supply WD-40 uses, shelf life and storage Shelf life is 5 years from production per WD-40 Company, though it often performs considerably longer

Guides 1

Guide Bob's Red Mill vs Arm & Hammer baking soda Both are one ingredient, sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3); neither adds aluminum

Reference charts 6

Reference All 33 compounds at a glance (quick reference table) Shelf life, the best container, and the main uses for every compound in the guide, each linked to its full chapter. Reference Degrease, descale, disinfect: match the cleaner to the job Grease needs an alkali, scale needs an acid, germs need an oxidizer or antiseptic. Never mix across families. Reference Handling and safety: gear up before you open a container For almost any exposure: clean running water for at least 15 minutes. Do not try to neutralize a burn on skin. Reference Sourcing checklist: match the grade, read the label The in-store checklist for buying compounds: match the grade to the job, look for the right markings, and steer clear of the wrong product. Reference Storage, shelf life and inventory: store it right, track it, know when it's spent How to store each of the 33 compounds against its biggest enemy, the sign each one is wearing out, the inventory sheet with a free fillable tracker, and the twice-a-year check. Reference Storing your compounds: conditions, containers, packing and labels Hold 50 to 70°F, under 50% humidity, in the dark. Default to glass, never metal. Desiccant for powders, oxygen absorbers for dried food only.

The checklist

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Chemical Compounds and Cleaning A few cheap compounds replace a cabinet

Everyday cleaners

Disinfect & treat

Specialty compounds

Common mistake

Storing incompatible chemicals together, or with no protective gear.

Skills to learn

mix safe dilutions · store oxidizers apart · read a label

When it matters

FloodWater outageRising prices and shortages