Those 5 gallon water jugs are practical around the home and office as they can be placed in a water cooler to provide a drinking water supply for the entire household. These water containers are often cleaned in refilling stations, but disinfecting them at home makes sure your water bottle is completely free of contaminants! Here's how:
How to Clean Water Jugs - 3 Ways to Sanitize Water Gallon Jug for Clean Drinking Water
Professionals may tell you not to use soap, detergent, or dishwashing liquid to clean your water bottle, especially scented soaps. This is because the soap may leave traces of residue or scent that will affect the quality of the bottled water even after multiple rinses. It is better to clean your water bottle with unscented, food-safe solutions like baking soda instead!
Clean Your Water Jug Interior
What You'll Need
- Baking soda OR
- Coarse sea salt (alternative)
- Straw brush
How to Clean Your Water Jug
Baking soda and salt can be used interchangeably, and won't affect the quality or flavor of the stored water later on. It is relatively easy to clean the interior of your water bottle with salt, as you simply add a generous amount of coarse salt into the interior of your water bottle, then add a scant amount of water. Swish the bottle to remove algae and grime from the inside.
Using baking soda won't employ the swish method, but will require a bottle brush or straw brush instead! Add soda and tap water into the water bottle until it is a fourth full, then use the brush to clean the inside of the bottle. Rinse with tap water, and let the jug air dry before storing fresh water into the bottle.
Clean the Exterior of Your Water Jug
What You'll Need
- Mild, unscented dishwashing liquid
- Soft sponge
How to Clean Your Water Jug
Cleaning the exterior of your water bottle doesn't need any fancy tools or considerations. A simple mixture of soap and water is enough to clean the exterior of the bottle. Dilute unscented dish soap with tap water, then dip a sponge into the mixture. Scrub away any dirt from the exterior of the water bottles, then rinse and let the bottle air dry.
Make sure you have the cap of the bottle on as you do this to prevent the soapy water solution from seeping into the water jug. Don't forget to clean the cap too! Clean the cap with a toothbrush and some baking soda to remove any grime.
Disinfect Your Water Jug Safely with Chlorine Bleach
What You'll Need
- Chlorine bleach
- Tap water
How to Disinfect Your Water Jug
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) allows the use of bleach to disinfect water jugs, provided that the appropriate amount of bleach is used, and that the solution is completely washed away before filling the jug with clean water. In fact, chlorine is one of the chemicals used to purify water, making water safe to drink!
To disinfect your water jug with bleach, create a bleach solution by diluting food-grade bleach with water. Add one teaspoon of bleach for every 1 gallon of water, and fill the water jug with the solution. Let the solution sit for 15 to 30 minutes for bleach sanitization, then dump out the contents of the water container. Rinse completely to remove any traces of bleach solution.
Getting Rid of Grime
Water bottles left moist can become a breeding ground for bacteria, viruses, and even mold. Cleaning your own bottle will ensure that your drinking water is sanitary, and will remove any traces of algae or microorganisms that fester in the interior of your water bottle.
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