Is it safe to clean ornaments with bleach?

smackitsakic

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I have several tank ornaments that are filling up with algae. How safe is it to use a 1:10 bleach solution to clean these? I understand that after bleaching they need to soak in some non chlorinated water before returning to the tank. Is that safe to do?

The ornaments are standard - a cave, a car, a ship, etc. Pics attached.
 

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I clean ornaments and plastic plants in bleach. I let them soak for about a week, then rinse well and allow to dry completely. I have never had a problem when I have put them back in the tank.
 
You can bleach plastic or glass ornaments, but not wood or porous items because it can soak into these things and leach into the tank after you put them back in the tank.

Use a bleach/ chlorine that does not have surfactants/ soaps in. Most common household bleach contains surfactants and these help the bleach stick to items. Unfortunately they are harder to wash off. Granulated swimming pool chlorine works well and does not have surfactants in.

With plastic or glass items, just use full strength bleach and soak the items for an hour, then rinse well and leave in the sun for a day. Rinse again and if they don't smell of chlorine, put them in the tank. If they do smell of chlorine, put them in a bucket of tap water and double or triple dose with dechlorinator. Leave for an hour, rinse and smell.

Do not use bleach on silicon unless you absolutely have to because bleach damages silicon and causes it to break down.
 

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