Dang... peroxide DOES burn

[xargos]

Yes friends, peroxide does indeed burn the skin.

Being the silly person I am, I decided to bathe the keycaps from my recently acquired Northgate OmniKey 101 in a tub containing 40 vol peroxide with a dash of OxyClean.  You know, basically the liquid form of Retr0Bright (or however you choose to spell it).  Well, that's not the silly part.  What was silly was that I didn't put gloves on for protection.  Then I decided to try to push a keycap down (Scroll Lock, if you must know) that had come unstuck from the Fun-Tak I was using to hold it down.  Ouch!

Luckily I only took a minor burn to the right thumb, almost like touching a hot soldering iron.  Still, lesson learned.  Beware of peroxide!

At least the keycap is stuck back down and the process has begun.

[audioave10]

Did you burn from heat, or chemical reaction?

[redpill]

Dude, wtf.  What concentration of peroxide was it?  Typically a normal 3% solution should not cause that type of issue.

[Oqsy]

Wow. My retrobrite solution got warm, but i hear it can get scary hot. If he used stronger h2o2 it could be either, but likely oxidation burn. Next time dose up on Vitamin C before trying that

[redpill]

Doesn't OxyClean have peroxide in it?  Maybe he just made a highly concentrated solution.

[Astounding]

Lesson learned, don't mix chemicals at random =P

[REVENGE]

Chemical burn, not a thermal burn. I've done this to a few of the fingers on my right hand when I got lazy and attempted to move a key that was covered in retrobright gel barehanded. I was using Clairoxide V40, which is apparently 12% H2O2, but the burn was not instantaneous. Invest in some cheap goggles and a pair of chemical resistant purple nitrile gloves. I believe that immersion is the way to go for whitening key caps.

[xargos]

Lesson learned, don't mix chemicals at random =P

Believe me, it wasn't random.  This mixture is well documented around the web.  In all fairness everyone does say to use gloves.

Chemical burn, not a thermal burn. I've done this to a few of the fingers on my right hand when I got lazy and attempted to move a key that was covered in retrobright gel barehanded. I was using Clairoxide V40, which is apparently 12% H2O2, but the burn was not instantaneous. Invest in some cheap goggles and a pair of chemical resistant purple nitrile gloves. I believe that immersion is the way to go for whitening key caps.

Bingo.  Chemical burn.  Still, it felt like grabbing a soldering iron.

I was using "Victoria USA Liquid Peroxide" since I could get it for less than Clairoxide, but it was the same 12% strength.  The mixture seems to last a couple of days and more keycaps lifted overnight, so I removed the keycaps from the bath this morning and will stick them back down and pour the mixture back in tonight.  With gloves, of course.

[vils]

I tiled my mother's bathroom last summer. It was messy and hot so I skipped gloves. After an hour and so I felt an burning sensation on my "soapy" hands. Vinegar helped to stop the burning but I can still feel the pain.

[Input Nirvana]

Is maybe the safest, most foolproof way (for keycaps) to put the hydrogen peroxide only and keycaps in a jar, close the lid and wait? Sun/no sun as an option?

No mixing, no sticking with tape, less to go wrong, blah, blah, blah.

[alaricljs]

Where's the excitement, where's the adventure, where's the inevitable 'I screwed up' thread?

[xargos]

Where's the excitement, where's the adventure, where's the inevitable 'I screwed up' thread?

True enough.  What is life without these things?

[Input Nirvana]

Where's the excitement, where's the adventure, where's the inevitable 'I screwed up' thread?

True enough.  What is life without these things?

Save all that for girls.

[The Solutor]

Oxyclean is the catalyst.  Not strictly needed but makes things go faster.

 
Oxyclean is Sodium percarbonate which is, more or less, solid hydrogen peroxide.

So retrobrite is a pointless mix between two forms of the same component.

As already suggested a mix of 50% hydrogen peroxide and 50% of ammonia (two different kinds of oxidizers) is way more effective (and less expensive) solution.

[The Solutor]

It makes it go faster.

 

Obviously it go faster, the solution is more concentrated.

The same  happen if you use just retrobright or just a more concentrated hydrogen peroxide solution.

[TexasFlood]

Wimps.

Just think what a porn star has to go through.

If we don't know should we go do some research?

[The Solutor]

It makes it go faster.

Not always a good thing...:redface:

[Input Nirvana]

Amazing is how a thread about xargos burning his arm completely off at the stump, has turned into one of the more humorous highlights of the day.

[alaricljs]

Almost makes me want to google it to find out what it really is they go through... mmmm nah.

[Input Nirvana]

Almost makes me want to google it to find out what it really is they go through... mmmm nah.

Just watch one. It's brutal. Seeing only one was actually more than one too many for me. Icky-poo.

[Input Nirvana]

Oxyclean is Sodium percarbonate which is, more or less, solid hydrogen peroxide.

So retrobrite is a pointless mix between two forms of the same component.

As already suggested a mix of 50% hydrogen peroxide and 50% of ammonia (two different kinds of oxidizers) is way more effective (and less expensive) solution.

I may Retrobrite this weekend. False_Dmitry_II bottom lined it down to pure hydrogen peroxide only. http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:9099&do=comments&page=3

[TexasFlood]

I may Retrobrite this weekend. False_Dmitry_II bottom lined it down to pure hydrogen peroxide only. http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:9099&do=comments&page=3

Am I misreading? Looks like False_Dmitry_II is advocating only Sodium Percarbonate at the link above.

[alaricljs]

Just watch one. It's brutal. Seeing only one was actually more than one too many for me. Icky-poo.

Watch one?  You mean they film anal bleaching?

[Input Nirvana]

Am I misreading? Looks like False_Dmitry_II is advocating only Sodium Percarbonate at the link above.

I sent him a PM for clarification.


"Why is the sky gray?
Why is the grass gray?
Why is a rainbow gray, gray, gray, gray, gray, and infra-gray?"

P.S. -Your sig has me screaming!!! lol

[Input Nirvana]

Am I misreading? Looks like False_Dmitry_II is advocating only Sodium Percarbonate at the link above.

He confirmed.

I'm getting Oxy-Clean only and trying it this weekend. I'll take before/after pics and report.

[REVENGE]

Is maybe the safest, most foolproof way (for keycaps) to put the hydrogen peroxide only and keycaps in a jar, close the lid and wait? Sun/no sun as an option?

No mixing, no sticking with tape, less to go wrong, blah, blah, blah.

Good way to go if you have the time, the whitening seems to come out more evenly.

[The Solutor]

He confirmed.

I'm getting Oxy-Clean only and trying it this weekend. I'll take before/after pics and report.

 
Any Oxidizer will be fine, sodium perborate, sodium percarbonate, Hydrogen peroxide, Sodium hypochlorite, alone they are good, if combined with Ammonium hydroxide (aka as just ammonia) are better.

Pay attention !! use them not in a closed space, and  manage them carefully, with gloves and eyeglasses. As they are relatively dangerous agents.

[TexasFlood]

P.S. -Your sig has me screaming!!! lol

Thanks, it made me chuckle last night, took me a moment to get it actually, had to use it, :biggrin:

[Input Nirvana]

I just bought 6 pounds of Oxy-Clean for about $7. I have no idea how much to dissolve in water. Tomorrow as the fog clears (I live on the beach in California) I'll dump a bunch in a clear tub outside and see what happens. I'll take pics too.

[litster]

I just bought 6 pounds of Oxy-Clean for about $7. I have no idea how much to dissolve in water. Tomorrow as the fog clears (I live on the beach in California) I'll dump a bunch in a clear tub outside and see what happens. I'll take pics too.

look forward to your results.  lopan and I may be doing this on Sunday.  Oh, and get back to me on the switch thing...