Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Sanitizing Fresh Water Hose

We all know about sanitizing our water systems in our RV’s but what about the hoses used to connect from the water supply to the camper? I am of the opinion (and am also guilty) that few RVers think to clean their hoses. This year I decided to make it part of my seasonal cleaning ritual and here is what I  did.


EQUIPMENT:
Sanitizer
Food grade 5 gallon bucket
Rubber Gloves
Protective Eye Wear

METHOD:
Star San:
I use a food grade acidic cleaner called Star San. It is Oder less, tasteless and only takes 30 seconds of contact to kill bacteria. It also will not harm clothing and does not have to be rinsed. It can be purchased on line, just Google “home brewing supply”. I do not recommend the Iodine sanitizer for hoses. Star San is the same cleanser restaurants use to clean their beverage lines.

Bleach:
You can also use plain bleach and achieve the same results but you have to handle it a little differently than the Star San. Wear old cloths, add 1 tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water and soak your hoses for 20 minutes and finish by rinsing them thoroughly.
Tightly coil the hose to fit into the bucket then massage the hose to fill with sanitizer.  After sanitation drain and I use an air compressor and blow out the lines though that is optional.  Let dry and you’re done but for the cleanup.

 


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