How do you clean a platypus hose? I have a brush for cleaning camelback hoses, but it only can be inserted in one end because of the right angle at the other end, so only reaches about half way. The hose is now completely black.

Completely black? Nasty! I actually remove the hose from the mouthpiece each trip. Platypus makes a tube brush and that allows me to easily run the brush through the hose. I then spin the tube around outside to let centrifugal force expell most of the water.

One poster (I believe it was Franco) said he bought a cheap aquarium air pump from WallyWorld and that he lets that run all night through his hose to ensure it's completely dry before packing it away.

I tend to be a little neurotic about getting my bladders and hoses dry - the smell of mildew makes me sick.

Black? That's gettin' your use out of an item! ;)

My first thought is to feed some kind of thin cordage through the length of the hose, using that to pull a "scrubber" of some kind through the hose behind it.

Soak it in a mixture of hot water and oxy clean.

FWIW, the cheap aquarium air pump works great! I use it to dry out all my bladders after a trip.

I third the air pump technique for preventative maintenance.

If the hose is black it might be time to replace it :) If the lovely biofilm living inside there has taken up residence in/under the rubber it's probably not going to come out.

H202 or Bleach (both diluted) are good for regular cleanings after a trip, just fill the platy up and let it soak. There are also a few sanitizers that brewers use. All of those are safe once they dry.

Edited by JacobD on 06/16/2011 14:23:28 MDT.

I think that is the way to go.

I would dump (recycle) the black hose and buy a new one.

Clean your Platypus or any other water bottle right after your trips. Platypus sells a cleaning kit with long brushes for both the bottle and hose. One thing I also do is drop a tablet of denture cleaner into the bottle and let it soak for 15 minutes - thankfully, this is the only reason why I have ever purchased denture cleaner. Then, if you are going to store it for a while, use a $10 aquarium pump with some hose to dry it out. I bought some "T" connectors so I could dry out a couple of bottles at the same time.

Sometimes, if I know I am going to use the bottles again pretty soon, I just refill them with water and put them in the fridge.

Mike

I always empty my bladder and hose (it sounds odd saying that) then fill with clean water and a 1/2 teaspoon (guestimate) bleach let it soak for a few days then rinse out and i have a coat hanger thats bent and inserted in the bladder to hold it upside down and spread apart the hose is hung so it drains this is been by my kitchen sink for years. Im looking for a gal that can appreciate this.

Tossing an empty (not dry) bladder/hose in the freezer also prevents the YUCK.

First, though, she needs to replace/bleach the old hose.

US plastics has food grade tubing to replace your current hose.

Have you tried threading a line through the hose, attaching some fabric or a sponge to the end and then pulling it through?
Don't use anything abrasive because you don't want to scratch the tubing.