Originally Posted by AdamDZ

I got the long brush and the plastic hangers for my bladders. After each use, I remove the mouthpiece, drain as much water from the bladder as I can and hang the bladder using the hanger, letting the tub hang loose. I wash the mouthpiece with dish soap. The hanger prevents the sides of the bladder from sticking to each other and allows plenty of airflow. I keep the dry bladders on the hangers all the time. Once every few weeks I use some chlorine bleach to flush the bladders and the tubes. I never had any mold and the water always tastes fresh. I use about two-three tablespoons of bleach per bladder.

Just don't pour concentrated bleach directly to the bladder/tube, mix it with cold water first. Then pour the water into the bladder, make sure it goes into the tube and let it sit there for some time. 10-15 minutes should be plenty. Rinse it thoroughly with cold water. Warm water might increase the intensity and effectiveness of bleach, but since bleach can damage plastics I avoided doing that. So far, no problems using cold water. Rinse with cold water only though, more effective.

I used it once on a tour and I only flushed it with chlorine once in two weeks.

If you use unfiltered tap water you're more likely to get mold and bacteria so might have to flush it more often.

I'm not sure keeping in it the freezer is good for the plastic. I'd rather keep it dry and clean and flush with bleach periodically. Also, lots of bacteria will survive in the freezer. Bleach is more effective.



Too long. Bleach damages plastics if exposed for too long and there is no need, 10 minutes is enough to kill common bacteria and fungi that cause mold and odor.