View Full Version : Mold in Hydration Bladder
FritztheCat
02-01-2009, 18:23
Any advice on how to get mold out of the drinking tube of a hydration bladder? I grabbed mine this morning and filled it (was still dark), used it all day today and when I got home I noticed the tube was pretty moldy. :eek:
Water tasted fine though. :)
Put some bleach in there.
randyg45
02-01-2009, 18:28
I'd try swishing some diluted clorox around in it, then draining it before refilling it with another clorox mixture and storing it overnight. Lots of people in WV treat their well-water storage tanks with clorox.
Ramble~On
02-01-2009, 18:39
I picked up a cleaning thing for that very reason...I think I got it at Walmart. It has a plastic thing that goes inside the bag to stretch it out and allow it to dry and a long, narrow spring that has a brush on it that fits inside the drinking tube - that and a little bleach does the trick.
Any gun store ought to have a rifle cleaning kit that will fit the diameter of your drinking tube that would do the same thing.
bleach it let it sit over night, even on long hikes you'll start to get mold in your mouthpiece, little bleach sitting over night works like a charm
Either buy the Camelback cleaning kit, which comes with a reamer brush on a handy cable,
or
drop a stiff piece of string or thin rope (or wire) down the tube, fish it out the other end and tie on a piece of towel, squirt some simple green on it, then pull it back though. Repeat as necessary to get squeaky clean. Then rinse the tube in chlorox solution.
Here's all you need to clean your camelbak:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=camelbak+cleaning+kit&x=13&y=19
I got one for Christmas to clean my dromlite.
Panzer
ps if the mold is too bad, just get a new one.
Tennessee Viking
02-01-2009, 20:37
Just let it hang overnight with soapy bleach water.
If the mold is still hanging on, just pick up a soft bristle pipe cleaner and pull it through the line with string a couple times.
i rigged a small piece of cloth to a piece of tie wire and just scrubbed it out of mine
When you store the bladder in the future pull the bite valve off to allow for better drying. A solution of 30% bleach and water for at least 30 minutes with occasional agitation should work for cleaning the mold out.
FritztheCat
02-01-2009, 21:54
Appreciate the advice! I used a mix of bleach and water and now it's clean. I never thought of taking off the bite valve when storing. Doh!! Thanks all!
skinewmexico
02-01-2009, 22:09
The Platypus site has a mix to use.
I store my bladder in the freezer. Haven't had a problem with mold since. Just remember to let it thaw a bit before you head out for a hike.
take-a-knee
02-01-2009, 23:23
I store my bladder in the freezer. Haven't had a problem with mold since. Just remember to let it thaw a bit before you head out for a hike.
That works on molds and fungi, works great for shoes/boots also, it may take 2-3 freeze/thaw cycles to kill all of it.
I got that nasty mold often until I realized what was doing it - I would often blow water back up the tubing so I wouldn't pinch the tubing on accident and have a leaker. My drool was setting up a mess up there.
I use the Camelbak scrubbing kit - and as noted, a rifle cleaning kit will work as well.
bulldog49
02-02-2009, 13:25
Buy a new one, not very expensive.
When not using my bladder it hangs out in my freezer. nothing grows when its froze
after a bleach and rinse vinegar and rinse can help with smell/taste
Appreciate the advice! I used a mix of bleach and water and now it's clean. I never thought of taking off the bite valve when storing. Doh!! Thanks all!
oh and before storing, let it sit out and dry completely
I took a plastic hanger and heated it enough to bend the arms around. After swooshing a bleach solution and rinsing out, slip the hanger into it and hang it up. It keeps the bag spread open and aired out.
Found these "manually operated bristle tube brushes" that might be useful. Some are as long as 21 inches.
Twisted In Wire Brushes
Cheap too!
Sorry, link didn't take.
Here's the address for Solo Horton Brushes:
http://www.solobrushes.com/family.asp?Cat1ID=4&Cat2ID=6&Cat3ID=&FamilyID=141