Just realized how long it actually takes to sanitize rain barrels between uses

I ran into this last week after a big storm. I figured I could just dump out my 55-gallon barrel, spray it with bleach, and be done in 20 minutes. It took me close to 2 hours because I had to scrub the inside walls to get the algae film off, then let the bleach sit for the full 30 minutes the directions say. Then I had to rinse it three times to get the bleach smell out. Has anyone else had this take way longer than they expected?

2 comments

2 Comments

robertgreen5d ago

Spray it with bleach and be done in 20 minutes" - oh you sweet summer child, I thought the exact same thing. I actually ended up with a nice little rash on my forearm from splashing bleach water everywhere while trying to scrub the algae crust off the bottom. And the rinsing part is a lie. Three rinses I could still smell bleach. I think I did six before I gave up and just let it air out for a day.

mary7765d agoMost Upvoted

Brother you are speaking my language. I did the same thing with a plastic kiddie pool that looked like a swamp. Scrubbed with bleach water, splashed it everywhere, and ended up with a lovely chemical burn pattern on my shins that looked like a bad tattoo. Let it sit for a whole day and it still smelled like a swimming pool locker room. Next time I'm just buying a new pool for fifteen bucks instead of giving myself a DIY rash.