2 questions for the group

Cloreen, even in phenominally small quantities, can cause serious problems in wine. But many people use bleach to clean thier equipement. If you rense well, then let your equipment dry comepetely it should be safe. That said, I have stopped using it. Also, I would really discourage its use on anything that is porous at all.

I would never let anything that has touched vinager near my wine. Just to risky.

There are other alternatives for bleach and vinegar.

Ray

Except for the spelling, I pretty much agree with all that. ;^)

Chlorine compounds (bleach, e.g.) are really effective sanitizers, but thorough rinsing is imperative. Don't use bleach on wood or other porous materials that will come into contact with the wine.

That I _don't_ agree with. Vinegar bottles can be completely and safely sterilized with bleach. Thorough rinsing is mandatory though, as it is after cleaning _anything_ in the winery that you sanitize with bleach.

BTW, don't re-use the corks. Those can't be sanitized effectively.

Tom S

I use a 10% household bleach solution once in a while on glassware and have never had an issue, I do rinse well as Tom and Ray said. I have reused vinegar bottles with no issues also.

Joe