Quick tank washing question

Hi All,

This may sound silly but as always i want to get this as right as i can.

I have a new DT that will have to have stickers removed and be washed inside and out.

In addition - I have a 20L sump tank that is painted now. (on the outside of course - painted the back and the fuge end to help keep light inside it. front is clear.

Using hot water and vinegar should suffice shouldn't it?
I want to avoid any type of cleaning product. I was going to use very hot tap water though.

thanks

 

I would clean the new tank with diluted bleach, just to be safe. Is the sump a new tank as well or used?

 

both are brand new. I just want to get them washed up and set aside for when i am ready to put this mess together. (hopefully in a couple of weeks.) If i have to shrink wrap the DT with Saran Wrap to keep dust out I will once it is washed. They will definitely have time to air dry.

Id forgotten about the bleach...whew, glad i asked.
How diluted are we talking?

thanks!

 

I'd use 50/50. If the tank(s) were used, I'd have suggested a good soaking and subsequent scrubbing with a 50/50 bleach mixture.

Oh, and unless you're a dust-o-phobe, I wouldn't bother protecting the tank against it

 

be careful, hot water near the boiling point can cause the glass to break, I would get as much as possible with a new razorblade first, then a hot cloth. rinse it all out with the water/vinigar mix.

edit: wow, I type slow, Amcarrig has great advice

 

I think i now have a course of action to take - thanks to both of you

oh - I planned to wash the sump tank out before i installed the baffles - then give it aother "swish" as my mom would say once the silicone had cured and I cleaned up any excess "silicone spoogeover" with a razor blade.

As far as dust? methinks I will use some saran just to play it safe LoL...my dust could probably beat up your dust!

thanks again!

 

It does not take much bleach to be effective. Regular unsecented household bleach is 50,000 parts per million when fresh so even a quart or two in 5 gallons of water is very very strong. I would do a vinegar wash first then follow it up with the diluted bleach wash.

 

thanks, yeah i have resigned myself to the fact that I may as well make a party out of this and bleach a washer load of socks and heaven forbid, maybe wash a window or two with the vinegar ...

yay for spring cleaning...NOT!

 

When I washed my tank I used a little Simple Green. I rinsed that out really well and for any stubbord yuck on it I used plain white vinegar and some dry tank salt. Since my tank is glass and not acrylic I used the salt as an abrasive. It worked really well. I rinsed it out again using hot water a couple of times and it was good to go!