Mold in Camelbak drinking tube
10-03-22, 09:12 AM
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Originally Posted by cyccommute
Those are generally hard surface materials that are easy to rinse completely as well as being unreactive towards the dishes and untensils. The same can’t be said of the plastic. It does react with the plastic and the break down products aren’t necessarily good for you.
Because household bleach is not that safe to use. It can be irritating and it can have bad reactions is mixed with certain chemicals. Hydrogen peroxide…in household concentrations…doesn’t have the same problems. There is little that the peroxide could react with to make any side chemicals. It does much the same thing as chlorine bleach without the issues. And, contrary to what has been said above, hydrogen peroxide is cheaper… about 3¢ per ounce vs 6¢ per ounce.
As someone who have worked extensively with chlorine and chlorine containing compounds, I can tell you that is not a material to treat lightly.
Because household bleach is not that safe to use. It can be irritating and it can have bad reactions is mixed with certain chemicals. Hydrogen peroxide…in household concentrations…doesn’t have the same problems. There is little that the peroxide could react with to make any side chemicals. It does much the same thing as chlorine bleach without the issues. And, contrary to what has been said above, hydrogen peroxide is cheaper… about 3¢ per ounce vs 6¢ per ounce.
As someone who have worked extensively with chlorine and chlorine containing compounds, I can tell you that is not a material to treat lightly.
10-03-22, 09:17 AM
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fwiw - Wifey uses Vinegar on her CPAP components ... just googled this:
Vinegar is safe to clean your CPAP supplies with, but won't remove any buildup. It actually helps to use a vinegar solution of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water once a month to really disinfect your equipment like your mask and tubing. Allow each part to soak in the vinegar solution for about 30 minutes.
Vinegar is safe to clean your CPAP supplies with, but won't remove any buildup. It actually helps to use a vinegar solution of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water once a month to really disinfect your equipment like your mask and tubing. Allow each part to soak in the vinegar solution for about 30 minutes.
10-03-22, 09:30 AM
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Originally Posted by pdlamb
If you've got mold in the tube, a combination of bleach solution and tube brush may be needed. I'd think about a quick rinse, followed by scrubbing with the brush, then coil the tube up and soak it in a bleach solution. Rinse with water (three times or until you're bored holding it under the faucet) and dry thoroughly.
Reminds me of the middle 1970s when the California legislature considered a bill to outlaw chlorine in any product. IIRC it passed one house before someone pointed out that salt (NaCl) would also be outlawed by that bill. This kind of phobia isn't really called for. "The dose makes the poison" still applies. The soaking can be done outdoors if the bleach odor is offensive, diluting the outgassing hypochlorite to well below the damage threshold.
Something isn’t a “phobia” or “irrational fear” if you have knowledge and evidence that a material can cause harm. Bleach solutions shouldn’t be used without gloves because the bleach can damage your skin. Your internal parts are far more sensitive to chlorine and chlorine bleach than your outsides are. The wise person chooses the least toxic (or dangerous) option that is still effective. If the least toxic option isn’t toxic at all and still as effective, why choose the option with a higher risk?
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10-03-22, 09:37 AM
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Sterilization is pointless. Molds, if that's what's in that tube, are ubiquitous in the environment, will regrow on hospitable surfaces as soon as the the sterilizing agent is gone, and are generally harmless. Mechanical removal should be sufficient.
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10-03-22, 09:50 AM
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Originally Posted by KerryIrons
Diluted household bleach does NOT react with the PVC tube to any significant extent. Please provide a citation for your claim of dangerous byproducts from a bleach/PVC reaction. Note that any byproducts would need to be present in meaningful quantities, not just detectable in the PPT range. Using bleach as described here will NOT result in irritation and unless someone is mixing bleach and ammonia, no issues there. As someone who has worked extensively with chlorine and chlorine containing compounds, I can tell you that in the usage described here, bleach represents essentially no hazard.
PPT or parts per thousand would be considered “meaningful” for many compounds. That only 0.1%. That’s easily detectable.
Finally, as a chemical student long ago, we were taught to choose compounds and methods that has the least possibility of risk. As a practicing chemist that was reinforced over nearly 40 years of work. If you there is no other substitute, of course you use the more toxic chemical but take extra precautions to avoid exposure. However, if the alternative is safer to use and just as effective, you use the alternative.
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10-03-22, 09:51 AM
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Originally Posted by MoAlpha
Sterilization is pointless. Molds, if that's what's in that tube, are ubiquitous in the environment, will regrow on hospitable surfaces as soon as the the sterilizing agent is gone, and are generally harmless. Mechanical removal should be sufficient.
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10-03-22, 09:57 AM
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And, not that it matters for present purposes, but a lot of the black stuff growing in wet places is algae.
10-03-22, 11:17 AM
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I’ve used the standard bleach tablets made for cleaning bladders for years…no problems.
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10-03-22, 01:34 PM
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Originally Posted by cyccommute
Are you sure that tubing is PVC? From what I can find, it’s likely polyethylene or some copolymer. I wouldn’t be so quick to say that it can’t react with bleach because the exact composition isn’t that clear.
PPT or parts per thousand would be considered “meaningful” for many compounds. That only 0.1%. That’s easily detectable.
Finally, as a chemical student long ago, we were taught to choose compounds and methods that has the least possibility of risk. As a practicing chemist that was reinforced over nearly 40 years of work. If you there is no other substitute, of course you use the more toxic chemical but take extra precautions to avoid exposure. However, if the alternative is safer to use and just as effective, you use the alternative.
PPT or parts per thousand would be considered “meaningful” for many compounds. That only 0.1%. That’s easily detectable.
Finally, as a chemical student long ago, we were taught to choose compounds and methods that has the least possibility of risk. As a practicing chemist that was reinforced over nearly 40 years of work. If you there is no other substitute, of course you use the more toxic chemical but take extra precautions to avoid exposure. However, if the alternative is safer to use and just as effective, you use the alternative.
10-03-22, 02:15 PM
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Originally Posted by KerryIrons
If the tube is a polyolefin instead of PVC then it would be even less reactive to bleach. PPT in my reference (should have been more clear) was to parts per trillion. Many reports of contamination reference vanishingly small concentration. Parts per thousand of reactive byproducts from bleach chemistry are simply not going to happen in this situation. As a chemical engineer with decades of experience in chemical research, there is zero risk of health issues from using bleach in this application.
For a 2 liter bladder, there's 2,000 ml of water in it. To get 1 part per thousand, you'd need 2 g of chlorine (Cl). IIRC from my chemistry courses, ordinary household bleach is about 5% Cl by weight, so you'd need 40 ml of bleach to get to 1 part per thousand -- about a tablespoon and a half of pure bleach in the tube.
Rinse the tube when you're done. Problem solved.
10-04-22, 07:51 AM
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Originally Posted by cyccommute
Yada, yada, stupid Californians, yada. Given the amount of times that people have said that stupid Californians have done something dumb when it hasn’t, I’m going to need a citation to believe that one.
10-04-22, 07:55 AM
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Originally Posted by cyccommute
I would not use bleach. It’s not really meant to be consumed. Soak in hydrogen peroxide with a bit of dishwashing liquid. Then physically remove any remaining bits with a piece of chinelle (pipe cleaner for the less sophisticated) dipped in the same solution. That’s what “pipe cleaners” were designed for. Rinse well.
10-04-22, 10:05 AM
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Originally Posted by KerryIrons
If the tube is a polyolefin instead of PVC then it would be even less reactive to bleach. PPT in my reference (should have been more clear) was to parts per trillion. Many reports of contamination reference vanishingly small concentration. Parts per thousand of reactive byproducts from bleach chemistry are simply not going to happen in this situation. As a chemical engineer with decades of experience in chemical research, there is zero risk of health issues from using bleach in this application.
10-04-22, 10:58 AM
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Homebrewer here. We deal with plastic hoses all the time
- To get rid of mold, soak in hot water and fragrance-free Oxyclean. If that doesn't do it, use a brush or a piece of string with a paper towel on the end. This may not be super-helpful advice as you may not want to buy OxyClean just for this purpose.
- Avoid mold by always drying your hoses! Spin them like helicopter blades to get rid of excess moisture then hang down to dry so that both ends are hanging down
- Do not blow into your hoses, that introduces moisture and bacteria
- Avoid putting anything with sugar in your bladders
10-04-22, 11:46 AM
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Originally Posted by autonomy
If that doesn't do it, use a brush or a piece of string with a paper towel on the end.
10-05-22, 11:31 AM
#41
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Or store it with a couple of ounces of the booze of your choice in it. Draining before the next ride, optional.
I used to use cheap rum to winterize the fresh water tanks on the boat, never had a problem with mold over years of layups.
I used to use cheap rum to winterize the fresh water tanks on the boat, never had a problem with mold over years of layups.
