Cleaning your camelbak

[martinw]

I think Ive got ferrets living in the straw of my camelbak so Ive bought one of these to give it a good de-gunge

www.millets.co.uk/Rucksacks/Rucksacks/Hydration-Packs/Cleaning-Kit/product/094412.aspx

Its not the camelbak one ive bought its a Eurohike one from millets, half the price of camelbaks and you get more brushes.

I am a pig when it comes to cleaning it, I get back from a ride and just throw it in the shed.

Xybadog, Did I hear you say you put yours in the freezer?

[ftasb]

Same as, i tend to throw it in the garage after a ride and clean it up the day before the next ride ;D

I've got the Camelbak set of cleaning brushes, i use them with a bowl of water and washing up liquid to give it a good clean out. Rinse out and then sterilise with a Milton tablet.

Sorted! No fur and no bad taste ;D

I have heard the one about putting it in the freezer as well but never tried it.

[pikey]

I always put mine in the freezer, the temperature inside a freezer is too cold for bacteria to live it also makes ur water/juice really cold when u put it in!! :-D

[xybadog]

Sept 2, 2008 8:51:30 GMT @martinw said:

Xybadog, Did I hear you say you put yours in the freezer?

Yeah, that's right mate. I rinse the bladder out after use, then put it straight in the freezer (with cap off). I then take it out the night before a ride and fill it half way and place back in the freezer (ensuring it's laid flat). Next morning before a ride I take it out, fill it up and put it in the bag.

[xybadog]

Sept 2, 2008 12:18:52 GMT @xybadog said:

Sept 2, 2008 8:51:30 GMT @martinw said:

Xybadog, Did I hear you say you put yours in the freezer?

Next morning before a ride I take it out, fill it up and put it in the bag.

That bit just sounds so wrong

[iwan]

I always put mine in the freezer, the temperature inside a freezer is too cold for bacteria to live it also makes ur water/juice really cold when u put it in!! :-D

this is not true, bacteria can survive being in the freezer thats why they tell you not to re freeze things, you should really steralize your camel bag every now and again its a perfect breeding ground for bacteria

[ftasb]

Yep.

I don't think freezing kills the bacteria either, doesn't it just slow their growth?

Get some of these, they're only a few quid for shedloads of them -

[iwan]

no it kills most of the bacteria that wudnt do much to you, but the nasty stuff stays dormant so when you defrost the nasty stuff has free rain and multiplies then you get ill, this is why you shudnt re freeze anything except for ice cream : >

[ady]

I have just bought the cleaning brushes for my camelbak, could not believe the amount of black gunge in the tube, the bladder itself was ok.

[iwan]

yea its the tube that gets it with me too, especially if use juice with any sort of bits in it

[xybadog]

That's true about freezing not killing bacteria, but the reason for freezing the bladder is to stop mould forming in it.

[sikora]

Whether is kills bacteria or not, sticking it in the freezer is alot better than leaving it in the shed.

[Rob]

The way i clean mine is i put 1 sterilising tablet in the bladder, let it do its work for 15mins then lift it high and let it run through the tube by squeesing the bite valve and letting it run out, then detach the bite valve and just run normal water through it to clear anything left then empty the bladder give it another rinse and place it in the freezer. JOB DONE Since iv done it that way i dont get no bad taste.

[iwan]

ye keeping it in the freezer aint a bad idea, especially if u want a nice cold drink on ur ride

[kay2]

just got the cleaning kit from millets for 13.99, im sure either wiggle or CRC do it for 8.99 though, although the millets one seems really top notch and well made