The Gun Counter

FYI, you can get quaternary ammonia tablets (1 tablet/gallon for sterilizer), at 150 tablets for $7.85 - might be cheaper places, I just picked some up today (have not bought tablets before.)

Seems like a very good way to store sterilizing solution w. v. little bulk.

The 1/gal sterilizing solution to sterilize what?

Also, by immersion (time) or spray?

Its a contact sterilizer, safe for sterilizing clean surfaces - dishes, surgical instruments, etc. One minute of contact or immersion is sufficient to sterilize. 200 PPM for spraying onto non-porous surfaces, 200 to 400 PPM for immersion. (200 PPM is probably fine, but up to 400 PPM is useful since immersion* is usually less precise than a spray.)

* When you wash dishes in a sink, it's "Rinse, Wash, Sanitize." But, the sanitize compartment is just filled to a line, so its not too accurate. Bleach corrodes stainless steel, and loses effectiveness, rapidly, if too strong a concentration is used (not that critical in a regular sink). Its nice to have a healthy "fudge factor" which quat. provides.

If you're interested, the website of the manufacturer of the tablets I bought.

Ah, thankee. So, obviously, you can eat off of a plate that has dried with this on it.

The odds are excellent that you already have - you certainly have eaten food processed in a plant where this has dried on the machinery...

If you find an old BSA hadnbook or seaman's manual, you'll notice an incredible emphasis on sanitizing - Ships used to spray everything w. carbolic acid on a regular basis. Anti-biotics have made people incredibly slack on hygiene. In a SHTF situation, its going to become important, v. quickly - esp. if heat starts becoming arduous to obtain.

It's still a big deal in ship's galleys and messes. One bug in those tight spaces can seriously degrade readiness.

Anybody know the shelf life of this stuff? Seems like a good thing to store, if it will last.

I'll check on Monday - I doubt it has one, provided it remains dry.

Just curious, Ag .... what brought about this post?

I'm religious about cleanliness/sterilization, but use bleach instead of ammonia based sterilizers.