I flushed my cooling system a while back and put the used AF in a light blue 5 gallon polycarbonate [hard plastic] container - one of 3 I use for drinking water. After I emptied it I washed it out with soapy water. Is it now OK to use for water again or did I contaminate it with the AF?
h2o after antifreeze in polycarbonate jug?
- Thread starter Lurch
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It's less than ten bucks for a new jug.
I'd wash it out with a stout detergent a few times then rinse it with water 4-5 times. While antifreeze is poisonous, if you wash and rinse it a bunch of times I suspect the naughty bits are down to a few parts per million, at worst, and insignificant in terms of health impact to you.
That said, call me paranoid, but I wouldn't mix containers between food/water and antifreeze.
That said, call me paranoid, but I wouldn't mix containers between food/water and antifreeze.
Kestas
Staff member
I'm not specifically sure about polycarbonate, but as a general rule plastics are considered porous. If a plastic container contained poisonous liquid, it cannot be used for potable liquid.
For this reason, potable plastic containers in the food industry cannot be made from recycled plastic.
For this reason, potable plastic containers in the food industry cannot be made from recycled plastic.
High density polyethylene would normally be used for similar jugs.
[I worked at a blow molding company]
Plastic both absorbs and gives off.
The shorter the term, the better.
Dish soap then plenty of flushing should be good in this case.
[I worked at a blow molding company]
Plastic both absorbs and gives off.
The shorter the term, the better.
Dish soap then plenty of flushing should be good in this case.
Classic PC Nalgenes are known for chemical resilience but I wouldn't use it for water after the fact.
Now if we were talking Sigg aluminum bottles...
Now if we were talking Sigg aluminum bottles...
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