What is the best way to wash new water containers?

[PattySprinter]

I have two new 7 gallon water containers - What is the best way to wash them?

 

[B and C]

I put in a cup of bleach and a gallon of water and shake it for a bit. Pour out and rinse. Then a cup of vinegar and a gallon of water, shake. Pour it out and ready to use.

 

[LoveCareThinkDo]

I would rinse them a couple more times but yep, that's it.

 

[RoamerRV428]

just rinse out a bit and be done. I don't go further. After continued use for a good long while I might throw a drop of dish detergent in and be done for another year on washing --lol

 

[highdesertranger]

I do the bleach then vinegar thing when new and then once a year. highdesertranger

 

[B and C]

Bleach and vinegar after any storage time too.

 

[MrNoodly]

What does vinegar do that bleach doesn't?

 

[PattySprinter]

Excellent! Thank you all!

 

[Moxadox]

What does vinegar do that bleach doesn't?

It gets the chlorine taste out.

The Dire Wolfess

 

[B and C]

And smell

 

[highdesertranger]

Vinegar gets the bleach and plastic taste out. highdesertranger

 

[MrNoodly]

Then what do you use to get rid of the vinegar taste and smell? 

 

[Dingfelder]

Bleach and plastic, of course!

 

[jacqueg]

Then what do you use to get rid of the vinegar taste and smell? 

Vinegar is an old-fashioned hair rinse, and I used to use it regularly. The odor dissipates rapidly. 

And even if it didn't, vinegar tastes better than bleach or plastic. 

BTW, tomorrow is National Pickle Day.

 

[MrNoodly]

 The odor dissipates rapidly.

Or is it that you just become accustomed to the smell? 

 

[travelaround]

Maybe I'm accustomed to it. I use vinegar for kitchen cleaning frequently, and the smell doesn't bother me at all. It is much better than bleach or ammonia.

 

[Ticklebellly]

I have found that Cloudy Ammonia does the best for an initial clean and deodorize for any drinking water containers. All my hiking friends now use if for CamelBack type containers because it does a good job on the drinking tubes, too. The product washes out completely with a couple of rinses and is cheap.

Works really well to use in your fridge or cooler, as well. I use mostly vinegar and Bi-Carb for cleaning and clothes washing but smelly socks lose their wet dog smell after a soak in Cloudy Ammonia.

DO NOT sniff it in the bottle; worse than Tear Gas in the sinus.

 

[maki2]

The only difference between cloudy ammonia and regular household ammonia for cleaning is the "Cloudy" brand adds a very small amount of dish soap to the product. You can add your own few drops of dish soap if you find a better bargain on ammonia at the dollar store or elsewhere.

Before you start playing at being a chemist with household cleaning products please read the information from this Good Housekeeping website. It will keep you from accidentally putting the wrong products together.
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/tips/a32773/cleaning-products-never-mix/

 

[rosiemartinez1211]

This post has confused me. Why the need to wash out so thoroughly?
I haven't bought mine yet so I'm on a need-to-know-basis.
Thanks

 

[Dingfelder]

Almost anything with plastic or foam tends to stink or have a sort of industrial or medicinal smell these days, from blankets to bottles. So many petrochemicals involved, either in the substance itself or in the cleaning or coating.

It seems to me more common than not for manufacturers to advise a good rinse/cleaning, too. And go to review sites, or to Amazon reviews, and one of the most common complaints and demerits against a product will be an offputting chemical spell.

You may or may not know what that stuff, of combination of stuffs, could be, but it's not appealing. Dangerous? Who knows? But of course who would want to find out the hard way, so ...