A Community and Forum For Aquaponic Gardeners

Cleaning that IBC you just brought home.

This would be a great place to share what you have learned about cleaning the various "non toxic" left overs in your totes. I for example have had a harder time cleaning veg based oils from totes than ie Round-Up. Round-Up rinses right out clean. It takes weeks of sun bleaching and occasional washes to get veg oil to stop stinking.

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ModeratorPermalink Reply by Bob Terrell on September 16, 2012 at 7:59am

Jim, I hooked my high pressure washer up to a hot water line off my water heater and cranked the water heater up in temp and with the hot water and high pressure my oil came right out....viola clean IBC!

Permalink Reply by Bobby McGovern on September 16, 2012 at 9:50pm

My first three IBCs had been used to carry "Lertisan" which is some sort of lubricant used in the fiber manufacturing industry. I phoned the company that makes the stuff and was told it was non toxic. I pressure washed the stew out of them and then scrubbed with sodium percarbonate (thanks Vlad). Sodium Percarbonate is better known here as Oxyclean. They seem to be doing fine.

Permalink Reply by Jim Fisk on September 17, 2012 at 8:03am

Thanks Bob and Bobby. Oxyclean is one thing I have not tried! Bleach is cheap and tackles many things as well and rinses easily.

I only have to find 2 more easy to clean totes for 4 more gb's and my system is done so I will be far more fussy as to what was in them. In the beginning there is a tendency to take almost anything out of frustration. After 6 mos of lining up sources and the first 7 ibcs installed in the system there now seems to be unlimited sources starting at 25.00 each (the most I will pay now). Patience as always wins the day but that's easy to say 8 mos in:-) I still find it amusing that Round Up ibcs were by far easier to clean with absolutely no odor left over after a good wash or 2 than any of the"eco friendly veg based oils" which stank for weeks after Cascade, bleach, Dawn, scrubbing, sun bleaching, etc, I think one could write a short book on this subject.

My 2 Trout 330's (so they have a little more jumping "Maxheadroom") are finally looking like (smelling like) they are ready to install in the system (veg oil based). Yeah!

Make sure you remove the drain valve and lid, take out the "o" rings and wash in Cascade as chems will hide in there. Some valves come apart and you can clean behind the "ball" where lots of chems can hide as they lube the ball with whatever is in the tote.

I will post more advice on all this as the little tricks learned often the hard way occur to me. Others please continue to do the same. AND NEVER TAKE A TOTE THAT HAS ALL THE LABELS REMOVED AS YOU WILL NOT HAVE A CLUE HOW TO DISPOSE OF RESIDUALS OR HOW TO LEAN IT. Knowing what was in it is #1.

Just wanted to add that I am a member of three ap forums and I am really gravitating to this one and it is State based to boot:-) Good job Sylvia and thanks!