what happened to Oxyclean?

Question

I haven't seen Oxyclean on supermarket shelves for a year or so. What happened?

I've looked up a material safety data sheet on the web, which states the active ingredient is sodium hypochlorite. I don't believe the stuff I used to buy (thick pink liquid in a spray bottle) had that composition - there was no chlorine smell on reacting with cat pee, it behaved like a peroxide solution.

I am wondering if (a) there was more than one formulation sold under that brand name, (b) one of them was mainly peroxide or a related oxidizing agent, (c) it's been quietly pulled off the shelves as a result of the "terrorist liquid bomb" bullshit.

Or is it still available somewhere? The only supermarkets I ever go into are Somerfield and Lidl.

Finally, any suggestions as to where I can get peroxide for neutralizing cat pee? I know how to produce it from basic materials but that's getting a bit messy.

==== j a c k at c a m p i n . m e . u k === ==== Jack Campin, 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland == mob 07800 739 557 CD-ROMs and free stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, and Mac logic fonts

newshound · Accepted Answer

You can still get a weak-ish hydrogen peroxide from chemists. Not expensive.

Graham. · Answer

Gives a whole new meaning to "Cillit Bang"

Rod · Answer

Last time I bought some H peroxide it was for medical purposes. And I bought it at a pharmacy. (Possibly even one of the ones mentioned as having been used by the bomb makers.) It was a couple of years ago, and things might have changed.

Graeme Wood · Answer

Waitrose have it.

teddysnips · Answer

That makes sense.  Waitrose don't let riff-raff like terrorists shopthere - they have to go to Morrisons.  Or Tesco.

Bruce · Answer

It got even weaker just after the arrest of the terrorist plotters, some of whom were convicted last week.

Most pharmacies used to sell 5% or 6%, but it was reduced to 3%. Now it's back up there again.

The Medway Handyman · Answer

Are you sure it wasn't sodium perborate?  Lots of stain removers based on this.

George · Answer

It got oxycuted.

John Stumbles · Answer

What about LiDL's (and others') oxy-action laundry cleaners? LiDL's W5brand says "> 30% oxygen-based bleaching agent, < 5% non-ionic surfactants, anionicsurfactants, enzymes (protease)"

stuart noble · Answer

Laundry bleach is usually sodium percarbonate, which fizzes like peroxide, but comes as a powder

Rod · Answer

STOP PRESS:Morrisons - £2-98 a pot with 50% extra free!(Partner wouldn't take photograph for proof.  :-(   )

what happened to Oxyclean?

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