How to Clean Water Jugs
Water jugs, no matter what material they are made of, can develop fungus and/or bacterial growth if you do not clean them well. At the least, if you do not properly clean your water jugs, they will develop a musty odor that is likely to give your water an unpleasant taste. To keep your water jugs fresh-smelling and sanitary, clean them after every use and before you store them. Cleaning these containers is not difficult, and involves few products and little time. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Pour 1 tbsp. of liquid dish soap into the water jug and fill the jug with warm water to about 2 inches from the rim.
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Put the lid on the jug and close it, then shake the jug vigorously. If the jug is too large and heavy to do this safely, such as a 5 gallon jug, place it on the floor sideways and roll it back and forth.
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Use a clean bottle brush to scrub the inside, if the mouth of the jug is narrow. Use a sponge to clean wide-mouthed water jugs.
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Pour the soapy water out of the water jug and refill it with warm water to rinse out the soap residue--you may need to do this several times. After each time, sniff the bottle. If it still smells soapy, rinse it again.
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Sanitize your water jug after cleaning it by using unscented household bleach. FEMA.gov advises using 1 tsp. of bleach per quart of water. Add the water and bleach mixture to the jug, close the lid and shake the jug. Place an over-sized jug on the floor and tilt it from one side to the other. The bleach solution must touch all interior surfaces to sanitize the jug thoroughly.
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Rinse out the jug with warm water several times to remove all traces of the bleach. Once the jug is thoroughly rinsed, you can refill it or leave it to air dry with the lid off. Do not cover and store the jug until it is completely dry inside.
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Tips & Warnings
FEMA.gov warns against touching the interior of the jug or its lid when re-filling it, as this could contaminate the jug and/or lid with bacteria.
