Bleach against scale and mealies?

[Mrs.Green]

I read a post on BCSS about scale and how to getting rid of them . One poster suggested using household bleach, as a friend of him growing orchids used this method with success.

The recipe was one part bleach to twenty ( 1:20) parts water and a couple of drops of washing up liquid soap as wetting agent. Then soak the whole plant ( washing off the substrate first) in this solution for 10 minutes. Then rinse the plant in pure running water, dry and pot up in fresh substrate.

This method ( if it works..) is very tempting for several reasons, only one treatment and the plant can be repotted again after a couple of days. Which I find especially good, since the growing season is over here now.

This treatment ‘promise’ to kill both adults and eggs in one go, which would be great.

Anyone who have tried this or have any thoughts? My main concern is harming the cacti.

[mmcavall]

I don't think it would harm the cacti. It is very diluted. I've tried bleach in higher concentrations (against mold in the pots of the seedlings) and nothing happened (neither the seedlings, neither the mold died).
I have a feeling that this method will not work...it seems to be too much diluted. Scales and mealies are hard to kill.
You could chose one of your plants to test. One you wouldn't care too much if it is harmed somehow. But I think nothing will happen.
There is a thread called "hot bath against mealybugs". The method is effective and safe, but you will probably be concerned about harming your plants as well.