Just noticed this interesting detail in SRAM road brake bleeding instructions, "Syringe storage" section: "Store used bleed syringes with DOT brake fluid in the syringe hose and the clamp open to extend the life of the syringe hose. Used syringe hoses can become cloudy and brittle if left empty."
Meanwhile, ParkTool instructions for their BKD-1.2 bleed kit say that everything should be cleaned with alcohol for storage ("Clean syringes, hose and fittings with alcohol regularly.")

I use ParkTool BKD-1.2 kit and do rinse everything with IPA after use. However, I do notice that their hoses do indeed get quite cloudy after being flushed with IPA and don't clear up by themselves. (Next time I use them they become fairly clear once filled with DOT fluid.) Perhaps, SRAM's approach to storage is a better idea? Granted, SRAM instructions are supposed to apply to SRAM bleed kit, but I doubt the hose material is that different between SRAM and ParkTool kits.

So, does anyone actually do that? I.e. store their bleed kits with DOT fluid in the hoses?

In the shop we used the Sram bleed kit and never flushed it with anything, just let it sit with whatever DOT fluid was left over from the job. Of course the hose clamp was never left in the clamped position as that will certainly shorten the life of the hose at that location. That bleed kit had been in use for 10 years at that point.

Same in our shop as TiHabanero states...never had a problem

i hang, or set in a vertical position, all bleeder hoses, for a few days, or until re-used, to allow draining..... i have never left them filled with fluid, ever... i have never left the clamps on the hoses, ever. in fact, i don't use those clamps al all.... i have never cleaned the hoses with alcohol, unless switching from DOT to Mineral Oil fluid in close succession.

if the hoses get stiff from DOT fluid, it is because they are the wrong type of hose material, IMO.

i use small engine fuel line to replace any hoses that get hard... available at ag. and yard equipment dealers, worldwide.
seems to hold up much better, and won't get cloudy.
i've done the same with my Mity-Vac bleeder/vac.tester tool for decades.. the fuel hoses outlast the Mity-Vac pumps..

Rotary and Oregon brands of fuel hose are my typical go-tos for fuel hose... i usually have a few feet of three or four sizes around, since i also repair small engine equipment at times.

small chemical resistant hoses tend to gradually get stiffer as time passes, especially the lowest cost versions.... i've seen many of them also turn to jelly when left in contact with harsh chemies(various Cleaners and Fuel additives).... The resultant sticky goop ruins the entire fuel system.
DOT brake fluids are harsh on anything it touches. SRAM/Avid, and any other bike brake makers, really need to quit specifying that junk.

DOT fluid absorbs water, even from the air, which is why automotive brake systems are sealed. For that reason I would remove all the fluid from the bleeding kit components.

Maybe this is a reasonable middle-ground between ParkTool's and SRAM's recommendations (if I correctly understood the latter). Keeping the hoses fully filled with DOT fluid sounds like an overkill to me.

I don't think there's an issue with that. Quite the opposite, SRAM seems to imply that the hoses might will get stiff and brittle without DOT fluid.

Bicycle brake systems are sealed. Automotive systems are only semi-sealed: the cap that covers the brake fluid reservoir is equipped with one-way valve, which allows the outside air to enter.

Well, I'm not advocating reusing the DOT fluid left in the kit for storage purposes. Whatever fluid was allowed to remain in the kit has, of course, to be drained and replaced with fresh fluid for the next bleeding session.

so yu're saying the hoses get stiff from sitting around afer cleaning too?
and i'm saying they get stiff from the fluid everyone either cleans out, or leaves in them.

i'm saying the hoses are damaged by the DOT fluid that ruins all sorts of things, and you should also avoid getting it on your skin, if possible.
experience has taiught n=me a lot... SRAM seems to be contradicting their own advice again.

drain the hoses and syringes.... avoid using harsh chemies on them... and they'll eventually get hard anyway, once they have been in contact with DOT fluid.
the syringes will also begin having stiction issues unless they get cleaned out... especially the cheap plastic ones.
i've gone with the glass ones now... the seals love to get stuck to them too, but at least they don't get cloudy and shrink.

i've used up three cast aluminum Mity Vac vacuum/bleeders thru the years.. i used to mess around rebuilding them, but they never last as well as a totally new unit.
i bought ONE plastic one... i'll never make that mistake again. pretty sure it never worked after the first use... cylinder and valve distortion caused it to fail.

and remember.. SRAM specified the DOT fluid... mineral oil seems to work as well, and is far less damaging to paints, finishes, and plastic variant parts.
i heard they are moving away from DOT fluid, Finally... i certainly hope that is true.

all of my Mity Vac tubing has been upgraded to transparent fuel resistant line.... it works great, but will, eventually, need replaced again.

how much alcohol will you waste attempting to extend the life of a couple feet of inexpensive tubing?
how much brake fluid will remove the paint from your tool storage drawers?
this borders on the insanity of spending $30 and countless hours to extend the life of a $20 chain by 50%, as it wears out the rest of the drivetrain...

Not me, but SRAM manual, which I quoted in my original post.

Now, I do observe that ParkTool hoses get milky/cloudy after being flushed with IPA, which is exactly what triggered the question. This is actually a problem, since the ability to clearly see air bubbles exiting the bleeding port is the reason clear hoses are used in the first place.

Can't vouch for "getting stiff" though. I haven't observed any increase in stiffness, although my kit is still quite new.

There's a DOT fluid and there's a DOT fluid. We are talking about 5.1 here, which is pretty tame (or is it?). An eye irritant. And might cause skin reaction in sensitive people.

From the Finish Line MSDS online... 5.1 DOT Brake fluid...
"WARNING
Hazard Statement(s)
Suspected of damaging fertility or the unborn child.
Precautionary Statement(s)
Obtain special instructions before use.
Do not handle until all safety precautions have been read and understood.
Wash hands and exposed skin thoroughly after handling.
Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection.
IF exposed or concerned: Get medical advice/attention. Treat symptomatically.
Store locked up.
Disposal should be in accordance with local, state or national legislation. Consult an accredited waste disposal contractor or the local authority for advice.
Other hazards
Harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects"

this doesn't cover chemical reactions with plastics... just living things, like.. people, fish, algae, etc.
so far, the fuel line on my bleeders seems ok.. the original tubing is long history. It got hard as a rock and resisted fitting changes.
Mineral oil had not effected it.
i rinsed the syringes out with light weight oil, then put the oil in my waste oil container, and toweled out the syringe.

DOT 5.1 contains an ether compound somewhat related to anti-freeze.
Triethylene glycol monomethyl ether.

sidenote... every time i see that "IPA" abbreviation, i think of someone pouring perfectly good beer through a bleed kit... the sacrilege!