electrolyzed

We took a little step towards being a slightly richer shade of green.  Well actually not we as in the kitchen (it's our housekeeping department), but we as a hotel.  A trial basis set-up for producing electrolyzed water for cleaning was installed.

This is going to replace a lot of the chemicals that the housekeeping department uses to sanitize rooms.  I filled up a few spray bottles of it to use in the kitchen for spraying down work areas and tools.  Aside from not putting harsh chemicals into the ground, it's efficient and economical... it's just water.  It's pretty mind-blowing how the stuff smells like bleach and if you stick your head to far under the top lid and take a deep breath, you will get knocked on your ass.

I've read a little about the benefits of it, like how it kills salmonella, e. Coli, and many other potential harmful little critters.  Supposedly you can fill a bucket with it, and wash your lettuce in it.  It's completely food-safe.  The guy installed it drank a glass of it... I tried it myself too... what the hell?  I've put many far more harmful things into my disgestive system.

Has anyone out there had much experience with electrolyzed water?  I'm wondering how long the water stays that way before it returns to the state of being plain old water.  I even brought a bottle home.

Comments

[Cameron S.]

It takes about 2 weeks for the water to revert apparently.

This link is pretty useful in talking about history and food industry related applications.

http://lwicker.myweb.uga.edu/electrolyzedwater.htm

[Rianwyn]

It's just water with the pH shifted a bit to the acidic side -- less acidic than say, vinegar or lemon juice. So perfectly fine for drinking and cleaning, but hell for microorganisms.
Fabulous!

[chris]

I've been trying to get a spray system and tank in our fishroom for some time. A lot of slaughter houses use them to sanitize as well. After the initial cost, it's cheap over the long run.

[Jim]

It smells like bleach because it CONTAINS bleach. The electrolysis of salted water creates bleach. (At least, at the cathode...) The chlorine from the anode later combines to form hypochlorous acid.

Basically, mix bleach, water and vinegar (or some other acid) and you have electrolyzed water.