UKC

how do you clean the tube to a platypus? Was about to put mine away after weekend and noticed grey patches...yeukkk!!
do i need bottle sterilising stuff or good old bleach?

In reply to cas smerdon: you can pour various things down such as milton, or bleach generally shifts it, or make a pull through, i have one of these which does the job well, as i like to leave the camelback in the boot

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5360025940&...

In reply to cas smerdon: i have just recently made a pull through.

I found some unused brake cable from my bike that i didnt need, got some cotton and tied a small piece of dishcloth to the end. Then i poured some boiling water down the tube and then some bleach; then i pulled it through. hey presto, clean!

In reply to johnj:

wow they actually make a brush to do the job. If i use bleach will i ever get rid of taste?

In reply to cas smerdon:

Sterilising fluid for cleaning babies bottles would be a safer option than bleach.

In reply to cas smerdon:
Suck a longish piece of string through the tube. Tie a small piece of fabric to the middle of the string then pull it through the tube a few times.

In reply to cas smerdon:

camelback do a cleaming kit that includes a long thim pipe cleaning brush... but it's not long enough to do the whole tube and the plastic cracket at the end get's in the way, so what i do is dunk the end in boiling water for about 30 seconds... shake it dry and the heat has expanded the tube enough to gently pull it off the bracket thing, you can then get the brush in both ends.
heat the tube up with your boiling water again and gently push it back on when it's celan
and a another recomendation for milton rather than bleach

In reply to cas smerdon:

I just pour boiling water in my platypus every now and then and let it run through the pipe. But then, I've never used anything other than water, usually filtered, in them - after use, empty them out, hang them up to dry and store them hanging up. I use the big zip 2, so this is easy. I've never worried about the grey bits in the tube.

Boots used to do some baby gear sterilizing tablets, each of which was intended to be disolved in 2l of water - fill up platy, drop one in, shake well, rinse. Don't know if they still do them.

In reply to cas smerdon: if practical, just keep it in the freezer when not in use. I have kept mine like this for the last 2 or 3 years and have experienced no build-up whatsoever. (i think this was a 'trail' tip i am ashamed to say )

This thread was started in the DOWN THE PUB forum and has now been moved.
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In reply to UKC Forums:
Please, DON'T use bleach... you'll never get the taste out. the best thing is a pull through (get a bit of wire/string with some weight on the end, pass it through so it sticks out both ends, tie some cloth on one end and pull it through) followed by washing with mint listerine, followed by boiling water, then freezing (i/3 full).
Leave it frozen till the night before your trip, then thaw it and it's ready to go, and will never get funky.

-MagnuS

In reply to cas smerdon: clean with sterilising stablets for babies bottles (dont get this on the metal clip!) then store in the freezer.