# Reusing free buckets



## BULLSEYE BILL (Oct 2, 2002)

I have a friend that gets 6 1/2 gallon buckets from Boeing. The have a chlorine they use in the air cooling system to kill Legionnaire Disease. The buckets are marked;

HALOGENE T-30

BROMO-CHLORO-DIMETHYLHYDANTOIN

A microbiocidal bactericide, fungicide, algicide and slimicide, for treating industrial recirculating cooling water and one-through

Active ingredient; Bromochioro-5,5-dimethylhydantoin 98%


Do you think that this is something that could be washed out for re-use? So far we have only been using them for lead, but if it could be used for other bee purposes...


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## dabb (Jan 10, 2008)

I wouldn't take the chance and and use them for beekeeping or honey storage. Even if you clean them out there is always residue that remains. 
I work in the medical field and some of the chemicals used for disinfecting are very toxic. We use one now to wipe down surfaces & it specifically states not to use without the protection of gloves. Go to a beer supply store and buy them for about $5.00 or so.
--Deb


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## WayneW (Jul 17, 2008)

OR stop by the local donut shop and ask if they have any filling buckets...... i get them for 2 bux apiece with lids....... only trouble is they are about 3.5 gallons not 5.


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## iddee (Jun 21, 2005)

I would do more research. It's too good to give up without knowing for sure.

WayneW, I pay .50 for the doughnut buckets here, or sometimes a pint of honey for 10 or 15. Some are 3.5, some are 5 gal.


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## Tom G. Laury (May 24, 2008)

*Used buckets*

Chlorine:

also known as bleach.

I don't think I would use the buckets for honey, maybe sumpin else, but looks like a great product for washing down a honeyhouse floor! I would save leftovers & buckets are always handy if not for honey.


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## Brent Bean (Jun 30, 2005)

Sounds tasty, I wouldn’t us them for honey, I would use them for draining oil out of my tractor. Or picking up the little gifts my dogs leave in the backyard.
Seriously think how it would affect your reputation if your honey customers started to notice a peculiar taste to your honey, or worse someone got sick form it.


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## Southern Bee (Feb 23, 2008)

Yeah, I dont think I'd use them for bees or honey. Try the bakery of your local grocery store. I get as many buckets as I want for free, and they always smell like yummy buttercream frosting


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## Southern Bee (Feb 23, 2008)

I got a bunch of buckets from a nearby restaurant awhile back. I was tickled pink, until the buckets stunk up my whole house and made everything in them or near them smell and taste like dill pickles. Nothing I did worked to descent them. I found other, outdoor, uses for them. Dill pickle flavored honey might be uh.. different  but I dont think it would sell very well.

And dill pickles arn't even toxic. Yeah, dont chance it. Brent's right, you'd feel awefull if someone got sick.


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

I have used the dill pickle buckets and it does not affect the honey taste at all. Now I use the donut (doonot?) buckets, 3.5 gallons of honey is lots easier to lift and carry than 5 gallons.


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## sc-bee (May 10, 2005)

Get them from Bi-lo for free --- Wally World also gives them for free from the bakery.


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## Nate (Dec 16, 2007)

*hey*

http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/_srcfiles/A393_FA.pdf

According to the aussies food administration, they have tested it and certified it as a cleaning agent to be used with services that come into contact with food. Several rinses should get rid of any residue, maybe a little scrubbing.

If you really want to use it for honey, you can feel safe about it.

If you scroll down to the Scientific section of that article, it specifically states that there is no toxicological grounds to prohibit the use of BCDMH as a sanitizing agent.


nate


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## Hillside (Jul 12, 2004)

> also known as bleach.


OK. First of all, this is not simple bleach. This is a complex organic compound used in the water treatment industry. You really shouldn't be reusing any kind of industrial chemical container for food storage. 

Yes a container like this could be cleaned and used safely. But, you never know what happened with a container in an industrial setting. Even though this stuff is used in the water treatment industry, it's not very soluble in water, so the easiest way to clean a container would be to use an organic solvent. Was the container cleaned? Using what solvent? Was it really just water? How do you know? 

Because my buddy said so isn't a good enough answer. 

There are plenty of food grade containers available without having to resort to this kind of thing.


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## WayneW (Jul 17, 2008)

iddee said:


> WayneW, I pay .50 for the doughnut buckets here, or sometimes a pint of honey for 10 or 15. Some are 3.5, some are 5 gal.


I'm comin over for donuts n coffee  Here it's a buck for the pail and a buck for the lid. Dont have any honey to offer up as of yet, but next year hopefully i will :thumbsup:


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

BULLSEYE BILL said:


> Do you think that this is something that could be washed out for re-use? So far we have only been using them for lead, but if it could be used for other bee purposes...


Where does the lead come from in "other bee purposes"?

If you would be willing to spend $3.00 or $4.00 per bucket you could have brand new buckets of unquestioned sanitary quality. Why don't you try that route? And then reuse them.


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## Hillside (Jul 12, 2004)

> Where does the lead come from in "other bee purposes"?


Doesn't everyone add lead to their honey so that it meets Chinese standards?


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Hillside said:


> Doesn't everyone add lead to their honey so that it meets Chinese standards?


Oops. I guess not. I'd better get on the bandwagon. I plumb forgot. (plumb, get it?)


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## blaine (Aug 27, 2008)

Yeah, just get the used food grade buckets. But they could have bacteria from the previous contents. So you might want to take them home and wash them out with something like a good clorine beach mix to disenfect them. 

Plumbum motum memoria , si Ego repeto rectus.


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## BULLSEYE BILL (Oct 2, 2002)

*And now the rest of the story*



blaine said:


> Yeah, just get the used food grade buckets. But they could have bacteria from the previous contents. So you might want to take them home and wash them out with something like a good clorine beach mix to disenfect them.
> 
> Plumbum motum memoria , si Ego repeto rectus.


Yep, always do. Well you guys and gals helped me make a decision, thanks.

By the way, I have always used buckets from the doughnut shops, got them free or for a buck each with lids and gaskets. Lately they have been coming without gaskets. 

The pastry buckets have been hard to get, seems like they are using plastic bags more and more now. I bought some of the buckets from Lowes and not only are they expensive but so thin and weak I am afraid to stack them more than two high. Another problem with them is that they do not have gaskets and leak if tipped or sloshed around in the truck. 

These buckets from Boeing are VERY sturdy and could probably stack them four or five high if I was man enough to lift them that high. AND they have ratcheting screw tops!

http://www.m-m-industries.com/catalog/life_latch/6-5_Life_Latch_Conainer.htm

I bet they aren't cheap either.

Hillside, the buckets were not cleaned at all, no solvents, nada. My friend just dumps the bleach in the tank and stacks them up to bring to me. They make sturdy buckets for putting lead into but they must weigh about 200 pounds and some of my guys need help dumping them into the gondola. Go figure.

Last week I bought 30 good buckets from Golden Heritage (a honey packer her in Kansas) for $178. that made them $5.93 each.


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## Hambone (Mar 17, 2008)

You could talk to NSF about it. Send them a bucket you have cleaned. I do not know if they will do a one time lab test on it or not. But if they don't, they can tell you who will. May help. http://www.nsf.org/


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## Troy (Feb 9, 2006)

sqkcrk,

Where can I get buckets for $3 or $4? Last time I bought 10 buckets it was over $100 (including shipping). Even without the shipping they were a lot more than $4.

I'd buy 20 more at $3 ea right now.


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## Hobie (Jun 1, 2006)

I get the occasional bucket free from the local grocery stores that have bakeries. I've also gotten 1-gal buckets that feta cheese comes in from a friend at a pizza place. The small ones come in handy occasionally. Like for storing dry smoker fuel.


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## IABeeMan (Aug 19, 2007)

Sherwin willams sales very nice buckets and lids for $4. The lids are very easily removed once snapped on as well


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