Harpic: Sodium Hydroxide? Baking Soda?

Ponsonby on 16/03/2023 - 11:55

The words "with Baking Soda" appear on the label of a bottle of Harpic bleach gel toilet cleaner. However the ingredients list in small print below says the product contains Sodium Hypochlorite, Sodium Hydroxide and an unnamed "alkaline salt".
https://imgur.com/mTaBhvn

Is there confusion here between the highly corrosive alkali Sodium Hydroxide (caustic soda) and the much milder alkali Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda)?

Ok, Sodium Bicarbonate is an alkaline salt and might be present, but if it is the unnamed alkaline salt in the ingredients, why isn't it named?

People who only read only the main label and are quite familiar with Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) may think the Harpic product is safe to get on their skin, not realising it contains Caustic Soda (Sodium Hydroxide).

Home & Garden Harpic

Comments

  • JIMB0 on 16/03/2023 - 12:06
    +4

    Bleach (sodium hypochlorite) is produced by mixing chlorine into sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), so the fact that it says bleach in rather big letters on the front would give it away.

  • brendanm on 16/03/2023 - 12:06
    +7

    It doesn't say it contains only baking soda, it simply suggests it contains some amount of baking soda. If people want to put something called "bleach gel" on their hands, that's on them.

    • iDroid on 16/03/2023 - 12:52
      +14

      that's on them.

      Quite literally.

  • Switchblade88 on 16/03/2023 - 12:13
    +3

    I think the idea is the added baking soda will cause a fizzing reaction to (allegedly) remove stains better. The prefix 'With' is determining it to be an additional ingredient above regular sodium hypochlorite.

    • iDroid on 16/03/2023 - 12:54
      +6

      I thought it was to appease those who have been told by their friend (at the last MLM meet) that baking soda is the best cleaner.

  • saltypete on 16/03/2023 - 12:16
    +2

    Clearly the intent of the ‘Baking Skoda’ label is to allow folk to fool themselves that the chlorinated compound they have purchased is more benign…. And I’m sure some simple souls will make regrettable decisions because of it..

    Is it just me, or do others also feel that as time goes on everything is just getting shonkier and shonkier despite all of the consumer laws?

    • shxhshzhz on 16/03/2023 - 12:33
      +5

      is the octavia rs shonky?

  • MS Paint on 16/03/2023 - 12:18
    +2

    It is common knowledge that baking soda cleans a lot of shit (pardon the pun).

    It's just a marketing strategy to include it.

    • Awwww. Grandma used to use baking soda to clean everything.

    • I heard Pam on late night talk back radio saying that baking soda is great for cleaning.

    At the end of the day it's bleach in a gel state.

    People who only read only the main label and are quite familiar with Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) may think the Harpic product is safe to get on their skin, not realising it contains Caustic Soda (Sodium Hydroxide)

    Are you speaking from personal experience?

    • Ponsonby on 16/03/2023 - 12:30

      Personal experience is to read every label carefully - not the same for others in the household though

    • Switchblade88 on 16/03/2023 - 13:05

      At the end of the day it's bleach in a gel state.

      'It' referring to the toilet cleaner as a whole, and NOT the bicarb individually

  • trapper on 16/03/2023 - 12:18
    +5

    Who would ever be thinking that bleach gel toilet cleaner was safe to get on your skin??

    Bloody hell, this isn't rocket science.

    • JimB on 16/03/2023 - 12:40
      +1

      The same people who also need this warning 'These nuts may contain nuts'.

      • MS Paint on 16/03/2023 - 12:44
        +1

        These eggs may contain traces of egg

      • brendanm on 16/03/2023 - 12:45
        +1

        Iron will be got when turned on

        • MS Paint on 16/03/2023 - 13:22
          +4

          Who's taking it from you?

          I suggest you don't turn it on if you want to keep it.

    • DashCam AKA Rolts on 16/03/2023 - 13:30
      +2

      Bloody hell, this isn't rocket science surgery. FTFY

  • tharlow on 16/03/2023 - 13:10
    +2

    MSDS

  • Daniel Plainview on 16/03/2023 - 14:32
    +3

    If you're stupid enough to think getting toilet cleaner on your skin is ok or desired, somewhere Charles Darwin is smiling. So I do not see the issue.

  • Roman Sandstorm on 16/03/2023 - 15:28
    -1

    How I read the OP's post is that he is asking why would the maker list two specific chemicals in the contents, but not another (more innocuous, and even better-known one) which is a major selling-point feature on the label?

    It's not misleading labelling as such, but rather a strange omission.

    Perhaps there is some labelling (ASA?) standard which does not require largely harmless chemical ingredients to be listed? But the nastier stuff has to be?

  • Euphemistic on 16/03/2023 - 20:25
    +2

    They obviously just put a little tiny splash in there, not enough to be an active ingredient, but just enough to appeal to the people that think bicarb soda is less toxic or more environmentally friendly etc.

    • iminabrons on 17/03/2023 - 11:47
      +1

      It's ironic to think that all those satisfying fizzy bubbles of the "magical cleaning action" of bi-carb of soda are just a chemical reaction releasing lots and lots of planet-warming carbon dioxide.

      The weirdest part is when people combine bi-carb and vinegar not realising what they are getting is the same chemical that's used to flavour potato crisps to give it the Salt and Vinegar taste, +++ lots and lots of carbon dioxide, +++ water!

      So we've reached the point where people can be convinced that Salt and Vinegar flavouring is the best cleaning agent on the planet while at the same time warming the planet with CO2.

  • kiitos on 17/03/2023 - 08:20
    +1

    While we're here, don't drink Dove's apple and white tea deodorant either.

    https://www.dove.com/au/p/antiperspirant-spray-apple-white-t…

  • gorgrond on 17/03/2023 - 10:31
    +1

    Baking Soda is commonly used to help with scrubbing… I think they just wanted to advertise that this gel can be used for a good scrub. "Bleach" and "Caution" are both there and look larger than the baking soda.

  • fixtechstuff on 17/03/2023 - 11:50

    Like most of those products they do very little over the generic stuff. I’m sure the baking soda will make zero difference.

  • bluesky on 17/03/2023 - 16:38

    According to one Harpic product with baking soda, the description touts the baking soda as "giving your toilet a shine and return your toilet to its natural gleaming whiteness."

    This one says "Contains baking soda for your whitest ever loo".

    That's what they are trying to sell. Is it effective? Not sure.

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