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I'm new to riding. Just wondering what you guys use to clean your camelback or other hydration bladders? We have the Camelback Mule & Lobo. I know they make a tablet or something, but didn't know if there's anything different or even better to use. Thanks for the help.
Kerry
In my dry climate, as long as I empty them out and let them hang dry, and as long as I only use water, I pretty much never have to clean them.
However, the suggestion I've heard is half a denture tablet.
I've had the same Camelbak bladder for several years. After each use, I empty it, roll it up and put it in a baggie, then put it in the freezer. I get it out just before I ride. I only use water in it, and so far, this procedure has worked well. No funny taste or unfunny organisms. By the way, some of my friends freeze their bladders partially filled with water, eliminating the need for ice cubes. I tried it a couple times, but the slab of ice felt like a board on my back. Here in Phoenix, I fill the bladder as full as I can with ice, then add water to fill in the gaps. It stays cold for hours.
I occasionally rinse mine out with a splash of bleach mixed with water. Run the water out through your tube, about 3 or 4 times and wipe the bag dry.
I have a cdryhing hanger, but to clean it I use denture cleaner and lots of water. Less expensive than the camelback cleaner tablets.
I just fill it up/empty it out a few times with water (including siphoning through the hose), then wipe out with a towel, then blow my own air in through the hose to blow it up and seal it up, then store it. I've had the same one for 5 years and I always use it for Gatorade. Mine is a Blackburn used in a Bell carrier for bikers...
I only use water in my camelback. Every once in a while, I use something called HydraPure. I like that it doesn't leave a taste in the bladder if you get it rinsed completely. TE sells it. Here's a link http://www.teamestrogen.com/products.asp?pID=4038Quote:
It is an anti-microbial cleanser for hydration systems.
- a superior anti-bacterial, fungal, viral, and yeast soap
- scrubs growth and build-up
- cleans microorganisms with no after taste
- designed to be safe and effective with drinking bladders