Cleaning stones, bleach?

[Alex M.S.]

So thanks to COVID my stones have been left unused since the first week in March. When work closed, I put them in a spot in my attic that apparently must have been damp or something. The stones look like they might have mold. There’s no obvious discoloration to the eye, but the slightly different smell and being in a hot/damp environment all summer leads me to believe there’s some sort of growth.

Can I use diluted bleach to kill bacteria on the stones with no negative effects? All stones are synthetic (mix of suehiro rika, Bester, chosera and naniwa).

 

[DHunter86]

I have had that happen to me twice; usually a light lap with a flattening plate does the trick. I followed up with a light bleach solution to make sure I got all of it, but never let the bleach sit for any prolonged period of time. No issues so far with the stones, but I'm pretty sure that the bleach may react with some of the stones if not properly rinsed out...

 

[Alder26]

Could try isopropyl alcohol too? Or leave the bacteria and hope that it improves cutting speed.

 

[amithrain]

I don’t think small splash of bleach will hurt too much

 

[amithrain]

I did have an unknown natural stone a while back permasoaking. It got algae-y. I gave it a lap and it still smelled weird so I soaked it in diluted bleach. Came out smelling even weirder... the smell is gone now though. Not sure if it’s because it’s a natural. I think vinegar should eliminate any odors on the stone (just don’t mix vinegar with bleach, that creates poison gas)

 

[Ruso]

(just don’t mix vinegar with bleach, that creates poison gas)

Chlorine gas to be exact. Could be lethal, however in small doses it is irritant to the eyes and respiratory system/mucous membrane.