i was able to get two 55 gallon blue drums that contained food grade vegetable glycerin. Does anyone have ideas n how to clean them out and stay fish safe. Water alone is taking some of the residue out . Has anyone had success with this?
How to clean vegetable glycerin out of a 55 gallon blue barrel.
- Thread starter Busterny
- Start date
I cleaned out 3 of my 55 gallon drums using bleach and vinegar. Let it sit 24hrs or so with a low concentration of bleach. Drain it, scrub it good with a brush/rag. This should do most of the cleaning for you. If needed spot clean with vinegar. Once done you will need to rinse it a few times and let it sit out in the sun to get rid of the bleach. I also filled them and let them sit for a day or 2 after and tested PH just to be sure. Bleach is perfectly safe if rinsed off and given proper time to air out.
Water, Palmolive (liquid dish soap), scrub, rinse...repeat few times. Nothing worst than oil on plastic.
The tops are sealed. They only have 2 holes at the top. I will add some bleach and possibly let it ride around in the back of my vehicle for a few days to see if the constant sloshing will help do the scrubbing.
What are your plans for these barrels? Due to the tops being sealed you are extremely limited to what you can do with them. You can't get a pump in them, you can drill them for bulkheads but then can't get access to tighten the inside up. They're already proving to be a pita because you haven't got the access to clean them thoroughly. Them 55g blue drums also come with open tops. Does the place you got them from not have any?
If you can't get open top barrels i'd simply cut the tops off them if that's all you're doing with them. You can clean them easily then, whether you jet wash them out with hot water or use some of the suggestions above is your call.
Please for your own safety do not mix bleach with vinegar...I would try dawn dish soap and wash it like you would your dishes. Then rinse it out very well and maybe clean up with vinegar and water
