Firstly, I did not recommend OxyClean (nor would I do so). I have never used it and cannot comment on it. I have used PURE sodium percarbonate purchased under the brands (Ecover and BioVert). PM2, the fact that this article refers to sodium carbonate as baking powder (more than once) shows the lack of understanding (and fact checking) by its author. Sodium carbonate is washing soda (or soda ash) - DIFFERENT than baking powder (sodium bicarbonate). There is also a difference in using liquid hydrogen peroxide and dry sodium percarbonate. I think further investigation by PM2 would be in order. This article contains inaccuracies. While hydrogen peroxide solutions have the advantage over powdered products of being sold ready to use, powdered bleaches are easier to handle, have better storage stability and do not need any added chemicals to enhance stability. Powder versions also contain higher percentages of hydrogen peroxide (liquid versions are a high percentage of water).

I ordered a pail (30 pounds or so?) of pure sodium percarbonate from www.chemistrystore.com about five years ago. I still have half of the pail left. I fill a garden sprayer with hot tap water then dissolve a least a cup of pure sodium percarbonate in the hot water in the sprayer. Spray some on 2 square foot section of weathered deck and then scrub like crazy with a scrub brush. Rinse and repeat. weathered deck will look like new. Forget cedar, go with pressure treated pine or IPE. Cedar is NOT naturally rot and insect resistant! I have seen a lot of rotted Cedar after less than 10 years exposure. I had a piece of cedar that was completely hollowed out by carpenter ants.

I did some research on sodium percarbonate. .lol..thank you maylingsmom and aamassther, sodium percarbonate will work at lower temps, however it will take much longer, after temps reach 140degrees or above it will work much faster, I appreciate knowing this, since I no longer need to worry about the pot of boiling water, generally If I'm using the stuff its in a load I'm soaking for hours or overnight, so my hot tap set at 130 degrees is plenty hot enough for a long soak, however if I was not soaking, just washing a load normal wash time and no soak, the water temp would need raised otherwise it wouldn't be enough time for the stuff to be beneficial. So conclusion, if using hot water the soak time can be drastically cut, even working to its full potential in a normal wash time, but cooler temps would require more time, that would benefit with a soak. I will stash my soup pot away, no more carrying boiling water, I'll save it for my boil washes, lol....I expect my kids will be very happy knowing this lol..thank you all much.

Further update on the pure sodium per carbonate. I've been using it in place of Biokleen oxygen bleach on my whites loads. A little be careful what you wish for note; I noted somewhere on here that my highest temperature is 126F, and I wondered if I could achieve a hotter hot, my whitening results with the pure sodium per carbonate might be better. Well, my hot water heater heated it's last tank of water and died last week. I got a new one installed (here, help me up off the floor. the bill was so high I about fainted), and the new water heater is blazing hot. I mean, be careful folks, it's hot. I don't have use of a thermometer anymore so I can't tell exactly how hot, but it's markedly different. I am in a whole 'nother league now. To my disbelief, I am still getting the orange tinge to my whites :( but where this pure sodium percarbonate excels in my experience is odor removal. Even before I got a new hot water heater and my max temp was 126F, I noticed that odor removal was excellent. Better than Biokleen, and that stuff works very well for me. Now that I have much hotter water to work with, the odor removal powers are of course even better with the pure SP. I am still working out how I am going to proceed going forward since this new hot water heater has kinda turned my procedures sideways, but I did want to let others know that for me, with my water conditions, the odor removing powers of the batch of pure SP that I got are hard to beat. I'm struggling with getting that orange tinge out not using Biokleen at the moment, but I'll sort it all out in time.