Cleaning Cambelbak before first use?

Yes – Hot soapy water and rinse it well. If you have a bottle brush around it can be useful in really scrubbing it.

One of the regular posters here – I think it was Ben – suggests using a cheap Wal-Mart aquarium pump to run air through the hose overnight to completly dry it. I haven't done that yet, but it's on my list.

If I remember correctly, all I did was run hot/warm water through my camelbak before I used it. I didn't have any ill effects from doing so. Also, I don't use the "cleaning kit" that people sell with it. I just empty my camelbak and put it in the freezer as soon as I'm done with it. The freezer keeps any bacteria and other things from growing in it. I've had mine for about 1.5 years and it still is like new. No need to buy the cleaning kit with it.

Is it a good idea to wash out platy/camelbacks with bleach and how much bleach does one use?

Will it leave residue or taste?

I've been storing them in the freezer. Good idea.

Bleach degrades most everything it comes into contact with. I store my camelbacks on a hanger in the closet with everything open, and I never had a problem.

I flush them with water before and after using.

Agreed, or at least stick with the couple-drops-per-quart concentration, and avoid laundry bleach with perfume. Really, it's only for a mildew outbreak and unnecessary as a preventive.

Hot water and baking soda after getting home, then completely drying it before storage does the trick. Don't store in a closed and humid environment.

Cheers,

Rick

For regular use, methinks the best is normal dishwashing liquid followed by several good rinsing. No need to use bleach — unless you've got mold and 'gunk' accumulating.

As for storing the bladders in the freezer — that's fine — if all you use the bladders for is storing plain water. But if you use them for sweetened drinks and are careless about washing/rinsing afterward — freezing will not necessarily stop mold from growing.

And finally, for those (like me) who are impatient about waiting for narrow-mouth Platypus bottles — and especially hydration tubes and inline filters — to dry completely — connecting them to a cheap Wally World aquarium pump works really well.

You should clean out any new plate, bowl, cup, etc.

Pumping water through bottles, tubes, and filters will clean them to some extent- but physical contact is the most effective way to clean just about anything. Especially bottles- you can use bleach until you're (literally) red in the face, but the inside of a well-used Platy will still have a slimy texture until you actually clean the thing…

Bleach is generally overkill, especially in the way that it is used by many germaphobes. If that's your bag, use a low concentration and allow the tube and bottle to air dry. You don't have to wait for it to be entirely dry, but wait at least 10 minutes. Then rise well.

CDC recommends a concentration of 1 teaspoon per gallon of water for sanitizing food containers. You could safely use up to a 4 tablespoons, but I wouldn't use more than that- it's not going to do a better job of sanitation, and you'll still need to give it time to dry, etc. And rise it a lot more.