How to best clean my olive oil bucket?

[SoapSisters]

I have found an independent local olive oil producer who is willing to give me (!!!) about 18 liters of olive oil. I have a bucket with a hermetically seal-able lid that was previously only used for olive oil. How can I make sure it's clean enough for this new oil? Wash well with soap and hot water? Disinfect with alcohol? If alcohol, is 70% okay? Can I use a clean alcohol-soaked rag to clean the inside of the bucket - or is spraying it on better? This amount of oil will probably be in the bucket for quite a few months (I'm a hobbyist soap maker.)

 

[Lin19687]

Try Dawn dish soap, rub all inside the bucket and let sit for a bit. Then rinse and wash with dawn and water?

 

[szaza]

Lots and lots of both dish soap and hot water is the best way to clean out greasy stuff in my experience

 

[shunt2011]

I agree with using dawn dish soap. It works best with oil in my experience.

 

[SoapSisters]

Thanks for your responses! After it's been cleaned with soap and water, do I need to also disinfect with alcohol? Or will soap and water make it clean enough to store the new oil in?

 

[IrishLass]

I'm not sure that it's absolutely necessary, but it certainly won't hurt to disinfect it with alcohol. If it were me, I'd do it, but I'm picky about things like that.


IrishLass

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Apparently, 70% alcohol is as good or better as a disinfectant compared with 91% or higher. See the link in this post: https://www.soapmakingforum.com/thr...eds-better-preservation-or.75236/#post-772166

 

[Lin19687]

no, 91% is SOOO much better. That is what I use to wipe off my soap table after every soap made or spill or anything. 70% you have to do it a couple times to get it totally oil free.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

no, 91% is SOOO much better. That is what I use to wipe off my soap table after every soap made or spill or anything. 70% you have to do it a couple times to get it totally oil free.

The information at the link is specific to disinfection, with 70% being more effective for killing nasties. I haven’t tried it, but I can imagine that 91% is the better solvent for cleaning anything that will dissolve in alcohol.

 

[SoapSisters]

Apparently, 70% alcohol is as good or better as a disinfectant compared with 91% or higher. See the link in this post: https://www.soapmakingforum.com/thr...eds-better-preservation-or.75236/#post-772166

Thanks so much for this!

 

[TheGecko]

I have found an independent local olive oil producer who is willing to give me (!!!) about 18 liters of olive oil. I have a bucket with a hermetically seal-able lid that was previously only used for olive oil. How can I make sure it's clean enough for this new oil? Wash well with soap and hot water? Disinfect with alcohol? If alcohol, is 70% okay? Can I use a clean alcohol-soaked rag to clean the inside of the bucket - or is spraying it on better? This amount of oil will probably be in the bucket for quite a few months (I'm a hobbyist soap maker.)

I use an orange based degreaser that I got from the Dollar Store for my initial cleaning; it really cuts through all the oils/butters. Then I wash with Dawn dish soap as normal. You don't HAVE to disinfect, but it doesn't hurt.

 

[Kiti Williams]

I have found an independent local olive oil producer who is willing to give me (!!!) about 18 liters of olive oil. )

You have someone who will give you that much! How can I become a relative?!!