How to Clean a 5-Gallon Water Bottle: Step-by-Step Guide

Its straightforward to clean a 5 gallon water bottle is straightforward using my 5 step method. Drinking water bottles are typically made of plastic which is generally lightweight. You just can’t use them over and over again. But, when it comes to hard plastic water bottles, you should be able to use them for a long time. For instance, you can take 5-gallon jugs or a sports bottle as an example.

But one of the common problems with this kind of water bottle is algae growth inside of the bottle. To make them reusable, you must recycle them. In this article, I will show you how to clean 5 gallon water bottle. Read on!

How to Clean Algae from 5 Gallon Water Bottle Using Bleach

You can easily remove algae from the water bottle. All you have to do is follow these steps properly to get the job done.

Step-1:

Here I will use chlorine bleach as it comes with the ability to dissolve algae rapidly. However, if you do so, you have to be careful enough as bleach is toxic and also corrosive. Besides, it may discolor the plastic.

First of all, you need to make a perfect solution by mixing the right amount of bleach with 1 cup of water. When you have to clean a 5-gallon water bottle, you can double or even triple the formula.

Step-2:

After making the solution, pour it into the bottle. Swish it well after covering the bottle. Make sure that the solution has covered the whole inside of the bottle.

Step-3:

At this point, you just pour hot water into the bottle. Be careful when you are doing it. You can take help with a pitcher in this case. Doing it in the bathtub will also help you.

Step-4:

Keep the bottle for at least 30 minutes. It will help the bleach solution to clean up the algae from your bottle.

Step-5:

After 30 minutes, you must empty the entire bottle. Now, rinse it by using your tap water. Continue rinsing until the odor of the bleach is gone completely.

Step-6:

Scrub the inside of the bottle properly. If it’s not out of algae yet, you need to make another cup of bleach solution. Pour it onto the bottle and swish well. Now, using a bottle brush scrub the inside of the bottle properly.

How to Clean Algae from 5 Gallon Water Bottle: Last Step

Finally, rinse the bottle again with tap water. Before re-capping, dry it up properly. The Sun-drying process can be a good idea. When the bottle is properly dried out, you can use it again.

How to Clean 5 Gallon Water Bottle Without Bleach?

I also mentioned above that bleach is quite corrosive and toxic. So, if possible, try to avoid it. That is why I will share with you another method that is also effective for removing algae from a water bottle. But, this time I will not use bleach.

How to Clean 5 Gallon Water Bottle: Necessary Things

Water
Vinegar
Dish soap
Rice
Tea tree oil
A Funnel

Check the steps below for completing the task.

Step 1- Scrub:

First of all, you have to add dish soap, and water onto the bottle. Then using a funnel, add a cup of rice to the bottle. Then shake the whole bottle properly.

Step 2-Freshen:

At this point, you have to add vinegar and then again water onto the bottle. After that add a few drops of tea tree oil. This essential oil comes with the ability to disinfect the bottle. Now, shake again perfectly.

Step 3-Rinse & Use:

If you have done everything above properly, it’s time to rinse the bottle. Make sure that you have rinsed well. After rinsing dry up the bottle . Sun-drying will be good in this case. After that, the bottle is pretty much ready to use again.

Some Other Algae Cleaning Methods

Below I will discuss some other methods which can also be used to remove algae from a 5-gallon water bottle.

Commercial Algaecide:

You may also use a commercial algaecide to remove algae from the bottle more perfectly. You can easily buy those cleaning products from a local store. No doubt, algaecides are less corrosive compared to typical chlorine bleach. The cleaning-up process is similar.

Biological Control:

It is another great method to clean algae. Many animals produce biological wastes. Those are quite effective to eliminate algae from a confined place like a 5-gallon water bottle.

Deprivation:

Here is another method for controlling algae. This method is known as deprivation. To thrive algae always needs three elements- light, nutrients, and water. Without any nitrogen or phosphate, algae will not exist in the water bottle.

In many cases, these nutrients are present in tap water. In that case, you can block light to eliminate algae. You can go for a dark color bottle which will definitely block light and eventually algae will not survive there.

Wrapping Up!

There is no denying, hard plastic water bottles are reusable. But, you must take good care of those bottles. Otherwise, algae may grow inside of the bottle. In this article, I tried to tell you about how to clean 5 gallon water bottle in several functions. I hope now you can do the job without any hassle.

How To Clean 5 Gallon Water Bottle: Easy 5 Methods