Cleaning an old storage drum

[Underwater Passion]

So I snagged a used 200 to 250 gallon storage drum for free. The person getting rid of it had bought the house and the old owner had left it there. The only thing he knew was that the owner owned a detergent making company and probably used it to store chemicals in it.

Is there ANY way to clean this polyethylene drum out with anything in order to ensure it is safe for using as an RODI water storage container? Pressure washer? I have time so I can let it sit for a while if that’s needed but perhaps someone who knows about how polyethylene reacts with chemicals can offer some insight?

Thanks in advance!

 

[MarshallB]

Not sure if its possible to remove all contaminants out of it. Specifically if you don't know what was stored in it.

“Consistently in our study, we found polyethylene [HDPE and LDPE] and polypropylene [PP] absorbed much greater concentrations of contaminants than PET or PVC, and those are the most commonly mass produced and consumed plastics,” Rochman said. “They are also the most commonly recovered as marine debris.”

Plastics and chemicals they absorb pose double threat to marine life

Marine creatures that ingest plastics in the ocean might suffer from a double whammy of the plastic itself and the pollutants those plastics have absorbed while floating in the open seas, according to research led by doctoral student Chelsea Rochman of the University of California, Davis.

www.ucdavis.edu

Since you don't know what was in it you wont know what to test for to see if its gone. Unless you send out a test sample of water for a wide band test.

 

[Underwater Passion]

I agree I decided to buy 2 IBC totes that held cooking vinegar in them before. Any tips on how to clean them to make them reef safe?

Aside from rising then really well with the hose, should I do anything else to clean them to avoid any ph swings in my reef tank?

 

[jimk60]

I agree I decided to buy 2 IBC totes that held cooking vinegar in them before. Any tips on how to clean them to make them reef safe?

Aside from rising then really well with the hose, should I do anything else to clean them to avoid any ph swings in my reef tank?

Just rinse them till a PH test reads neutral.