Sanitising Hydration Bladders

[Wander]

Be honest with me.
I have a hydration bladder that I have not used in a couple of years. At least.
When it was put away it would have been given a clean and left to dry.

Would you use it again after all that time in storage?

I will give it a clean and sterilise it.
But there's a little bit of me (well, more than a little) that wonders if all the nooks and crannies will be clean enough, especially the mouth piece. I will fill it with water and add a couple of sterilisation tabs, and run it through, and leave the mouth piece immersed in a tub of water that also has a sterilisation tab in it.

Do you think that will be enough?
I know, rationally, that sounds OK, but be honest with me - would you still use it?

This was always the problem I had with hydration bladders (particularly the tube and mouth piece) - keeping them clean and sanitary between uses.
Yes, I could replace the tube and mouthpiece. But that's not an option because I need it for tomorrow.
So it's either use it or not use it.
What d'ya reckon?

 

[MrEd]

Yeah soak in Milton or similar,

Mira well worth for future use getting a proper hydration pack cleaning brush set, even with just water in them left over they can go mouldy.

I always rinse mine when finished with it then leave it all soaking in Milton for 24hrs then thoroughly dry it all before packing away. I stuff the actual bladder with dry kitchen towel when storing aswell which seems to help stop the smell etc (presumably as air can circulate)

I only use mine 2/3 times a year as I prefer large nalgenes now

 

[Allison McKenzie]

I use mine after a rinse (2 or 3 times a year), if it was clean and dry, and then stored, how would it have got dirty?

 

[Lean'n'mean]

I've never used a hydration bladder but if it smelt OK I wouldn't even bother sterilizing, I''d just rinse it out, fill her up & off I'd go.

 

[Wander]

Well, I've given it a good clean.
I took it apart completely so I could clean the separate bits properly.
I put it in the sink with half dozen sterilisation tabs and left it to soak for half hour.
I do have a hydration pack cleaning kit, so gave it a good scrub with that.
It looks clean enough.
Just letting all the bits dry off in the boiler cupboard now.

Normally I use a bottle. But tomorrow I'm going to need to take a good couple of litres with me and it's easier to carry that amount of water in a flexible 2.5L bladder than a couple of rigid 1L bottles.
Worse comes to worse, though, and bottles it will be.
But it looks alright, so I'm happy.

 

[Allison McKenzie]

Normally I use a bottle. But tomorrow I'm going to need to take a good couple of litres with me and it's easier to carry that amount of water in a flexible 2.5L bladder than a couple of rigid 1L bottles.
Worse comes to worse, though, and bottles it will be.
But it looks alright, so I'm happy.

Taking bottles too is a good idea. My first bladder failed on the mountain, leaving me with a wet bum and having to share water with my clean freak man (I say his over cleaning weakened the bladder)

 

[cipherdias]

Milton sterilisation fluid is the best way to go. If it was put away “dirty” at all and has any mould then do several good cleans with Milton before rinsing off and drying off.


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[pieinthesky]

When I used mine regularly I would just rinse it out thoroughly (occasionally using milton) and store it in the freezer.

This saves having to dry it out all the time which is not easy to do properly.

It was always nice and fresh and mold free but my sister in law (who is not too clever) thought it was an ice pack and used it on her bad back. Never saw it again after that !!