Camelbak sanitation

[airsoftguy01]

So, I have an Omega reservoir that has had some water in it for about 7months but never was exposed to air, when i emptied it out it smelled a little funny but can't see any visible mold on anything.

Any thoughts on just throwing some bleach in there and cleaning it out?

[axisofoil]

If you put bleach in it, you will NEVER get the taste and smell of bleach out of it.

Get a camelbak cleaning kit.

[airsoftguy01]

If you put bleach in it, you will NEVER get the taste and smell of bleach out of it.

Get a camelbak cleaning kit.

You know whats in that special little tablet? Chlorine dioxide. AKA chlorine bleach. They sell the non camelbak branded tabs for about $.50 at REI,DICKs,BIG 5, etc..

[Ganef]

If you know so much about the cleaning tabs, why are you asking for tips?

I have never used any cleaning product on my cbak in the last 6years, I spray it out every once in a while and dry it out occasionally but that is it.

[Shadow]

Lemon juice works great for me.

[airsoftguy01]

If you know so much about the cleaning tabs, why are you asking for tips?

I have never used any cleaning product on my cbak in the last 6years, I spray it out every once in a while and dry it out occasionally but that is it.

Just curious...because the water sat in there for that long..

[zachbusch]

the newer/past 3 years paks have a special rubber coating that keeps mold from growing, just purge hot water through it, not boiling, just hot AZ tap   , also feel around the inside before you wash it, if its slimy then you might want a pipe cleaner to clean it out

[stealthmaster14]

I've never had mine "grow things," but diluted hydrogen peroxide seems to work well.  There are many solutions you can put into the the bladder, if you google it, you can find tons of info.

[Raith]

I've been using my current Camelbak reservoir for about 5 years now.  I think I had some water sit in it for about 6 months one time, and it doesn't even smell.  If you just have water in there, and you didn't backwash a lot or something, there shouldn't be anything in there to grow.

If you're really worried about it, buy a new reservoir, they're only like $30.

[axisofoil]

...chlorine dioxide is in water purification tablets.
Chlorine bleach (like household bleach) is a much, much different amalgamation of substances.

Anyways, all of my cbaks have microban. I just run hot water through them and let them air dry and they're clean as a whistle (cleaner, actually... whistles are pretty gross most of the time).

[nynone]

Chlorine Dioxide would be fine in your camelback. I'ts definitely not close to bleach, at all. The MSDS for Clorox's Chlorine Bleach listed a 5-10% concentration of Sodium Hypochlorite. 10% Sodium Hypo is what I sell at my store (pool supplies) for a gallon jug of liquid chlorine.  Bleach also typically sits on shelves for a highly extended period of time, so the strength won't be anywhere near 10% (due to a lack of stabilization of the chlorine compound). I would personally avoid using bleach due to taste, but I still wouldn't want to take a chance with their filler chemicals which they use for clothing.

I guess the simple answer is: Use the cleaning tabs labeled as Chlorine Dioxide, as it's not the same as bleach (by any means when it comes to chemical compounds).

[Shadow]

Chlorine Dioxide would be fine in your camelback. I'ts definitely not close to bleach, at all. The MSDS for Clorox's Chlorine Bleach listed a 5-10% concentration of Sodium Hypochlorite. 10% Sodium Hypo is what I sell at my store (pool supplies) for a gallon jug of liquid chlorine.  Bleach also typically sits on shelves for a highly extended period of time, so the strength won't be anywhere near 10% (due to a lack of stabilization of the chlorine compound). I would personally avoid using bleach due to taste, but I still wouldn't want to take a chance with their filler chemicals which they use for clothing.

I guess the simple answer is: Use the cleaning tabs labeled as Chlorine Dioxide, as it's not the same as bleach (by any means when it comes to chemical compounds).

OT: Pool shock (used in the right quantity) works as a wonderful water sanitizer for long-term water storage.

Back to your regularly scheduled programming

[Toast]

Andy, pop a couple Alka-Seltzers in there.
It'll help your hangover at the same time.

[-MAD- SARGE]

If you're that worried about it, you can dilute some standard house hold bleach 1 part to 10 parts water.  Swish around a small amount in the reservoir and tubing and then thoroughly rinse.  If you have actual growth inside your equipment, then I'd recommend a new one because it would be very difficult if not impossible to clean.