Hydration bladder care

[redeye]

I store my bladder in the freezer when not in use then rinse it in warm/cold water before and after I use it. Had it about 3 years and it's only used half a dozen times a year, not every time I venture out. It's never been cleaned/sterilized and only filled with water no juices or such like. Never had a problem but just wandering what folk use to clean them and if storing in the freezer is best.
Cheers 

[gunwharfman]

I do the same as you.

[wombat]

I do the same, but twice a year i flush the bladders out with a mild solution of milton and clean the tubes out with string threaded through them with a scrap of cloth tied to the string. I also clean the bite valves using a cotton bud, it's amazing how much gunk can collect in them even though they are only used with water 

[ninthace]

I have just swapped from the old 2 litre Osprey bag with a screw top to the more complicated 3 litre Osprey bag with the wide top and detachable drinking hose.
The old one was a cinch - detach, strip and clean the bite valve assembly, wash out bag and lid with hot water, hang upside down for water to drain to bottom for an hour or so, pour out excess water, pop bite valve assembly into bag so you know where it is, loosely attach top and chuck it in the freezer until next time.


The new bag is more complicated.
Detach drinking hose, strip and clean bite valve assembly with hot water, flush out hose. Put to one side
Drain bag and flush with hot water.
Reattach drinking hose to open non return valve and flush out the hose that is attached to the bag,,
Invert bag and open bite valve to drain out both hoses and non return valve.
Hang bag upside down, slide the bit of plastic that seals the bag shut into the mouth of the bag so it can drain properly.
Leave to drain, ensure bite valve assembly and non return valve are both free of water.
Bung it all in the freezer.


From time to time a deeper clean may be necessary, I use Milton tablets, the points of cocktail sticks and the Osprey cleaning kit to dig stuff out.  The first time I used the new bag I threw in a Power gel tablet to make the water taste better - out of the tap our water is gopping and the water filter does not hold enough to fill the bag.  The tablet discoloured the bag but a soak in Milton cured it.

[sussamb]

I just leave mine in my rucksack .... simples   

[ninthace]

I just leave mine in my rucksack .... simples   

Less work and free mushroom soup; win - win!

[sussamb]

 


Never got that far, guess I use mine too often 


Every two months I use a sterilising tablet 

[Owen]

I just rinse mine with hot water and washing up liquid, then it's hung upside down to drain and put in the cupboard. Every now and then I use a small bottle brush in a long wire to clean out the tube. I use mine almost every weekend, they tend to last a couple or three years before they split. That's why I always put it in the outside mesh pocket not the fancy inside one.   

[ninthace]

I use mine 2 to 3 times a week but I find that unless you stay on top of it, the gunk builds up unoticed, sometimes as obvious black spots but sometimes more insidiously as a grey film that only becomes apparent when you start cleaning.  That's what started me on my cleaning routine.

[sussamb]

Maybe it's your water 

[dank86]

I use mine a lot and I use water sources I find so it gets cleaned pretty often. I tend to use Milton or if I've run out a bit of diluted beach

[jontea]

I store my bladder in the freezer when not in use then rinse it in warm/cold water before and after I use it. Had it about 3 years and it's only used half a dozen times a year, not every time I venture out. It's never been cleaned/sterilized and only filled with water no juices or such like. Never had a problem but just wandering what folk use to clean them and if storing in the freezer is best.
Cheers 

I treat mine pretty much the same, and not had any problems.

[redeye]

Thanks for the replies. Keep on keeping on with it then but may give it a good clean next time it comes out with me