Just realized how long it actually takes to sanitize rain barrels between uses
I ran into this last week after a big storm. I figured I could just dump out my 55-gallon barrel, spray it with bleach, and be done in 20 minutes. It took me close to 2 hours because I had to scrub the inside walls to get the algae film off, then let the bleach sit for the full 30 minutes the directions say. Then I had to rinse it three times to get the bleach smell out. Has anyone else had this take way longer than they expected?
Spray it with bleach and be done in 20 minutes" - oh you sweet summer child, I thought the exact same thing. I actually ended up with a nice little rash on my forearm from splashing bleach water everywhere while trying to scrub the algae crust off the bottom. And the rinsing part is a lie. Three rinses I could still smell bleach. I think I did six before I gave up and just let it air out for a day.
Brother you are speaking my language. I did the same thing with a plastic kiddie pool that looked like a swamp. Scrubbed with bleach water, splashed it everywhere, and ended up with a lovely chemical burn pattern on my shins that looked like a bad tattoo. Let it sit for a whole day and it still smelled like a swimming pool locker room. Next time I'm just buying a new pool for fifteen bucks instead of giving myself a DIY rash.