What do you clean a bcd bladder with?

[RICHinNC]

I tried searching on this and didnt see anything, so sorry if I missed it.

What can you use to clean the inside of your bcd bladder? Yes, normally I swish some fresh water inside and let it drain out after a days diving....but....I have heard it is a good idea to use some diluted vinegar as well.

What do you do...and why?

 

[scubasean]

I rinse it each dive, with fresh water (I dive in Salt).

I also use a cap full of bleach every second or third dive day, to make sure that nothing is growing in there...heh

Vinegar (actually, the very mild acetic acid that is present in vinegar) is used by some to help dissolve the sea salts into solution. Although it works great for some salts, many salts present in the ocean won't dissolve in vinegar.

I've never used vinegar inside my BC. It may work, but I've never used it.

 

[zeN||]

Here's a good email I got from cat re: this problem:

"i wouldn't use diluted bleach for two reasons:
1. don't want anything in there that could be a hazard when ingested - if I wouldn't want to swallow a bit of it or breathe a bit of it, i wouldn't use it in the wing.
2. chlorine is going to attack the bladder material, too

Anything that disinfects because it's a strong oxidizing agent (that's part of how chlorine bleach works), such as hydrogen peroxide, iodine, etc., is likely to damage the bladder.

I'll be using an alcohol based disinfectant - probably Listerine or a similar mouthwash (Listerine is what the Coast Guard seems to like, according to some sources) . I'm not worried about the alcohol - mouthwashes are ethanol based (same stuff people drink) because 1. it won't attack plastics 2. it won't penetrate plastics and it's highly water-soluble - can wash it out with clean water if you're concerned 3. it's volatile and will evaporate and 4. ingesting a bit or even breathing in slightly alcohol-laced vapour isn't going to harm you unless you have a severe alcohol sensitivity.

I'm just going to make sure that the other ingredients in the mouthwash won't attack the bladder material before I use it in my pretty new wings. Until I know this - well, Everclear (I cheat and use lab alcohol because we can't buy overproof alcohol in Canada) or even vodka makes a pretty good substitute. Just make sure the wing has been cleaned, rinsed and has as little water in it as possible - diluting the alcohol decreases its ability to disinfect. You're not going to *fill* it with alcohol - this is a "swish" rinse with small portions. Several small rinses will probably be more effective than a single big one.

Hope this helps"

Thanx cat zeN

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Same as Zen. Actually, I got the idea from Popeye.

Rinse out well with fresh water, empty, a (large size) cap full of Listerine, inflate and hang it up for awhile. After things have settled I rotate the wing 2 or 3 times to work the stuff into all the inside edges of the bladder.

Then drain well.

Works for me.

 

[scubasean]

Doc Intrepid once bubbled...
Same as Zen. Actually, I got the idea from Popeye.

Rinse out well with fresh water, empty, a (large size) cap full of Listerine, inflate and hang it up for awhile. After things have settled I rotate the wing 2 or 3 times to work the stuff into all the inside edges of the bladder.

Then drain well.

Works for me.

Good points....I'll use listerine from now on...

After using the bleach, I *did* rinse it several times with fresh water, but might not be enough.

Thanks,

Sean

 

[SubMariner]

According to my bottle of Listerine, it contains (amongst other things) 21.6% alcohol. So I'm guessing any mouthwash with a similar alcohol content would be acceptable.

BTW, I got this idea a few years back from Doc Vikingo.

Thanks Doc!

 

[Sean326]

and if you have to inflate orally you will have minty fresh breath

 

[docmartin]

listerine is only mildly antiseptic used in a bc bladder and the alcohol will dry rubber parts out. the navy had been experimenting to find a suitable disinfectant and they came up with the following four agents:
SaniZide Plus
Advance TBE
Bi-Arrest 2
Confidence Plus

https://www.daneurope.org/eng/ad2pag7.htm

 

[SubMariner]

While the article Docmartin quotes DOES indicate that the agents listed in his post are available (some even being used by the armed forces) they nevertheless end the article by saying:

SCUBA DIVING AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES. Infectious diseases have had a profound impact on the course of human history and are clearly a major cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the developing world. To be sure, humankind lives in a virtual sea of microorganisms with teeming numbers of bacterial flora, viruses, and fungal spores. Ironically, this flora offers us a protective mechanism from infection, as well as a relationship of mutual tolerance and beneficial symbiosis. DAN is occasionally asked about the risk of divers acquiring disease or infection from the diving environment and shared scuba equipment. While we are aware of unpublished anecdotal reports related to a variety of infections and diving, there is no documented proof that diving equipment has been responsible for bacterial, viral, or fungal infections. Although a theoretical risk exists in the arrangement of the mouthpiece and second-stage of the regulator, the risk is considered exceedingly low.
Divers, like anyone, may be subject to localized inflammatory changes related to mouth care, e.g. Gingivitis. As a portal of entry, these areas of inflammation may increase the risk for developing disease. However, unless one is exposed to a large area of contamination, it would be unusual to acquire disease through the mouth.
For the diver, the advent of water movement across the surface of diving equipment is generally enough to decrease any contamination that may cause infection in the mouth. Nevertheless, a theoretical risk remains and divers are duly cautioned about buddy breathing practices, especially

IOW, they have yet to see fully documented proof that using those particular products is actually warranted.

No offense to anyone; I just hate to see people get intimidated into using elaborate, expensive "precautions" for what may be nothing more than paranoia.

 

[docmartin]

agreed, however, that final paragraph refers chiefly to infection through reg mouthpieces. BCs present a much more real risk in my view precisely because the argument of water movement across the (inner bladder) surface does not apply.