Cleaning tabs?

dougo83

dougo83

Joined
Feb 28, 2008
Messages
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So...I picked up the official :rolleyes: cleaning kit for my CamelBak MULE. It came with some cleaning tabs. I have a question. Do they actually help or are they just hype? Also, what is your best improvised way to clean the thing up? And another: What is the best way to clean the pack itself? Mine smells horrible and I keep it in my room, so I would like it to not smell like a locker room.


Thanks
 
Best I have found are the denture cleaning tabs. They are cheap and they work. they smell like mint at first, but it goes away after you rinse it out again. For the pack itself, not sure but I bet you could just hand wash it and leave it in the sun to dry.
 
i use baking soda with some water for the bladder, works pretty damn well
after you rinse it good add like a 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and fill with water then drain, it does something that helps it

as for the pack, you may be able to just throw it in a washer, but idk if anything bad will happen
 
tknife said:
Best I have found are the denture cleaning tabs. They are cheap and they work. they smell like mint at first, but it goes away after you rinse it out again. For the pack itself, not sure but I bet you could just hand wash it and leave it in the sun to dry.
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T nailed it.......:thumbup:
 
tknife said:
Best I have found are the denture cleaning tabs. They are cheap and they work. they smell like mint at first, but it goes away after you rinse it out again. For the pack itself, not sure but I bet you could just hand wash it and leave it in the sun to dry.
Click to expand...

That's what I figured, but I wanted to ask around. Don't want to tear it up somehow.
 
cup of salt, 2 cups of water, pour in shake, cap the lid and squeeze out the air thru the hose. Let it sit over night and flush thru the hose, rinse, fill with clena wate rand go .
 
I use the tabs and they seem to do a good job. I also use the brushed that are made to clean the tube and bladder. To make sure it dries i have an expander that goes inside the bladder to allow it to remain open and not get moldy.
 
I heard/read something along the lines of a capful of bleach mixed in with water filling the bladder (don't overdue the bleach). Drain through the tube, open it and air dry.

When using the next time, fill and drain a couple of time to get all the residual bleach (and taste) out of it. The residual bleach should keep anything from growing in between uses.

Hope that helps
Jason
 
Something that wasn't mentioned. If you aren't using the bladder every day, and have trouble drying it.. Take it out roll it up, and store it in the freezer. No mould, no smell, Here in Oz ten min on the bench and it is thawed out. I guess you could fill the sink with warm water if you a bit colder.
Carl
 
I don't have a bladder but I can't see how the way I clean my nalgene wouldn't work. Assuming you only put water in it the only thing you have to worry about is bacteria and mildew. Put a cap full of chlorine in and fill it half way with water. Shake well and let sit for 30 mins. Dump it out, let it dry, and store it. Just be sure to give it a rinse before you use it to get the excess chlorine out.
 
warrigal said:
Something that wasn't mentioned. If you aren't using the bladder every day, and have trouble drying it.. Take it out roll it up, and store it in the freezer. No mould, no smell, Here in Oz ten min on the bench and it is thawed out. I guess you could fill the sink with warm water if you a bit colder.
Carl
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Thanks man, I love that idea!
 
I fill mine with tapwater and just keep them in the back of the fridge. Never had anything grow in them. (yet :D)
 
After each use I rinse it out with tap water, fill it with warm soapy water and let it sit for a while, then rinse out with tap water a few times, then air dry. Before each use I rinse with tap water a couple times. Seems to keep it free of nasty. Maybe a little anal, but only because I have seen things grow in the tube.
 
I made the mistake of putting diluted sports drink it one once, pretty much ruined it. I've learned to just not put anything but water in them. To clean I use a little bleach and water to rinse it out then put it on a bent up wire hanger that props open the bladder to dry it out.
 
I put whatever I want in my nalgenes, and +1 to the denture tabs. as for the bladders, I only use water in case the tube leaks a bit, no mess.
 
warrigal said:
Something that wasn't mentioned. If you aren't using the bladder every day, and have trouble drying it.. Take it out roll it up, and store it in the freezer. No mould, no smell, Here in Oz ten min on the bench and it is thawed out. I guess you could fill the sink with warm water if you a bit colder.
Carl
Click to expand...

I keep mine in the freezer when not in use. Much less maintenance and very simple to do.
 
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