Hygiene - a schoolboy error

[Colin S]

Never had a problem with bidons in a dishwasher.
Dishwash after every ride.

If it melts buy a new better one!


C

 

[si_c]

I use the same bottle most days, just give it a rinse before refilling. It gets refilled several times a day. Will stick it in the dishwasher usually weekly. Not had any problems thus far.

 

[slowmotion]

Just for information.

Legionella is a water-borne bacteria that is prevalent in most rivers and streams that can also find its way into purpose built water systems (your water tank at home) the growth rate of the bacteria is higher if the water is still or stagnant and between 20-45 °C. Plastic bottles containing water left in the sun increase growth rates too.

I was wondering about that during the recent hot weather. I think that the prime incubation temperature for legionella is about 37C. My loft hits that regularly during a heat wave. Suppose we go away for a week and the house is unoccupied. On our return, will we have a festering tank of evil? I know we could run off the tank before drinking anything from the taps but that isn't exactly topmost in your mind when you return, jet-lagged in the middle of the night. Should I call in a H&S wallah? It's a worry....

 

[Biff600]

I was wondering about that during the recent hot weather. I think that the prime incubation temperature for legionella is about 37C. My loft hits that regularly during a heat wave. Suppose we go away for a week and the house is unoccupied. On our return, will we have a festering tank of evil? I know we could run off the tank before drinking anything from the taps but that isn't exactly topmost in your mind when you return, jet-lagged in the middle of the night. Should I call in a H&S wallah? It's a worry....

To reduce the chances of Legionella you should ensure that your hot water heater is set to 60°C, absolutely avoid a setting between 20-45°C as this is the optimum temperature for the bacteria to thrive.

Yes as you say, the last thing you think of when returning from holiday is flushing the system through, but it should be done regularly and thoroughly to avoid stagnation, this isn't an issue during normal day to day stuff, as the flow of water is sufficient to clear any bacteria out. Even at work, when you get there on a Monday morning and pop the kettle on for a cuppa, run the tap for a minute or two. The bacteria is more prevalent in water systems that don't get used often, such as fire-fighting hose reels, spare bedroom en-suite showers and toilets etc

Just for the record I am actually a H&S Consultant/Wallah/Bloke/C**t with a clipboard*

*Delete as required !!

 

[DaveReading]

Suppose we go away for a week and the house is unoccupied. On our return, will we have a festering tank of evil? I know we could run off the tank before drinking anything from the taps but that isn't exactly topmost in your mind when you return, jet-lagged in the middle of the night.

I woudn't dream of drinking from a tap that's fed from the cold water tank, in any weather.

Isn't your kitchen one fed directly from the main ?

 

[summerdays]

To reduce the chances of Legionella you should ensure that your hot water heater is set to 60°C, absolutely avoid a setting between 20-45°C as this is the optimum temperature for the bacteria to thrive.

Yes as you say, the last thing you think of when returning from holiday is flushing the system through, but it should be done regularly and thoroughly to avoid stagnation, this isn't an issue during normal day to day stuff, as the flow of water is sufficient to clear any bacteria out. Even at work, when you get there on a Monday morning and pop the kettle on for a cuppa, run the tap for a minute or two. The bacteria is more prevalent in water systems that don't get used often, such as fire-fighting hose reels, spare bedroom en-suite showers and toilets etc

Just for the record I am actually a H&S Consultant/Wallah/Bloke/C**t with a clipboard*

*Delete as required !!

I looked into it when we got solar hot water on a previous house, and from the bits I remember it needed to be an hour at 50, or 5 mins at 60 degrees to kill the bacteria. So in winter I'd always make sure that it went upto 60 and above regularly.

I'm one of the put the bottle in the dishwasher, but I do sometimes use the previous day's bottle in winter, but not in summer!

 

[nickyboy]

On one of my regular cycling routes I go past a toilet block in the middle of nowhere. Top of the Goyt Valley for those that know the area

There are no shops for miles around. It has a sink in the block with a big warning sign "This is not Drinking Water"

Every time I go past I stop for a pee and I fill up my bottles with the non-potable sink water. I haven't died, yet

 

[T4tomo]

Steradent tablet. Or milton.

I prefer the taste of High5 tablets

 

[Illaveago]

I used two different panniers this week, and hadn't realised the bottle had slipped into the pocket of my ortlieb! Yesterday I noticed a dampness at the bottom of the pannier and eventually fracked back to find a bottle that had had diluted orange juice in!! It had expelled itself and left a right mess behind!

Out of interest do USB cables and Aldi lights work after being dipped in fermented orange juice?

Thank you for conducting this customer survey for us we would like to know the results of your findings ?

 

[summerdays]

Thank you for conducting this customer survey for us we would like to know the results of your findings ?

Err I haven't confessed my sins (it was his pannier that I borrowed ) to Mr Summerdays so they are in a bag..... I'll let him take the risk!

 

[Biff600]

On one of my regular cycling routes I go past a toilet block in the middle of nowhere. Top of the Goyt Valley for those that know the area

There are no shops for miles around. It has a sink in the block with a big warning sign "This is not Drinking Water"

Every time I go past I stop for a pee and I fill up my bottles with the non-potable sink water. I haven't died, yet

And there's a good chance that you won't die, but the sign isn't there because the water is toxic, the sign is there because it is deemed that the water is not drinkable.

Therefore if you do drink it and contract Green Monkey Disease or you leg falls off, you can't blame anyone but yourself

 

[postman]

You mean you are supposed to keep them after each ride.Hell i have spent thousands of pounds on bottles for each ride i do.I thought you were meant to throw them at pedestrians as a gift.Bloody hell.

 

[robjh]

And there's a good chance that you won't die, but the sign isn't there because the water is toxic, the sign is there because it is deemed that the water is not drinkable.

I suppose it depends who does the deeming, and how reliable their deeming is. I'm with @nickyboy on this, such a sign is unlikely to bother me in most locations, at least in the UK. And I'm still fairly healthy.

 

[nickyboy]

I suppose it depends who does the deeming, and how reliable their deeming is. I'm with @nickyboy on this, such a sign is unlikely to bother me in most locations, at least in the UK. And I'm still fairly healthy.

This reminds me of how we used to go fell walking when I was a boy and my mum wouldn't lete drink from.the mountain streams "in case there was a dead sheep upstream"

I used to have sneaky slurps when she wasn't looking

 

[Dan B]

That might not be long enough. I lay the bottle on its side with some water in. Give it full power to bring it to boiling, then reduced power for five minutes to steam it.

The trick is to give it long enough for a nice al dente consistency but not cook it to the point of mushiness