Water bucket just sprouted mold...

[Camcay39]

So I've been using the same waterer for over a year, it's been great. But two days ago for the first time ever, the water turned slightly green. When I opened it up I could see a bit of mold/mildew around the bottom edge. What's the safest way to clean this?

 

[sunflour]

Dish detergent and water,scrub clean and rinse well. IMO you should wash the water fount once a week even if it doesn't look filthy.

 

[Wyandottes7]

X2 on Sunflour. My waters quickly get green and slimy, so I have to clean them out frequently. Just scrub them with a rag or a paper towel, some soap, and water.

 

[MeepBeep]

There are two things that can commonly grow, mold (black or gray) algae (green or brown)... Most algae isn't harmful so a cleaning with soap is generally sufficient as it will remove an kill most of the algae... But mold on the other had can be harmful if not destroyed and removed completely, so it's best to do a good soaking or washing with a chlorine bleach solution not just soap... Chlorine can also be used on algae...

I regularly soak my smaller water containers (used in brooders) in a bleach solution of 1/4 cup bleach to one gallon water... And I will fill an drain my drip systems with bleach about once a month, obviously keeping the birds from using it while it's being cleaned and flushed...

 

[Teila]

I had a similar experience with my water feeders; while the water did not turn green, they started to 'grow' something on the inside.

I have had them 8 months or so with no growth and all of a sudden, growth on the inside. I wondered if my weekly cleaning with a sponge and just tap water had caused grooves giving the substance somewhere to take hold, so I purchased three new containers. Within a week, same growth; probably because we are just heading into our summer, warmer weather etc.

While I used to thoroughly wash them once a week with water and sponge, I have now added detergent to the mix and always give them a good rinse afterwards. I note, however, that towards the end of the week, they need doing again but they are nowhere near as bad as they were before the detergent was added to the process.

While I do not want to start a debate on the pros and cons of ACV, I use it and have read that it helps to keep the water containers clean.

 

[sunflour]

I added a TBS ACV to water fount during the summer. Never saw a difference. But rinse it daily and put in new water. I used to wash by hand weekly, but now OMG, wash mine in the dishwasher once a week. I'm in Ga and even with hot summers never see mold or algae.