If an IBC tote was used for isopropyl alcohol, can it be safely cleaned and used for a fish storage tank?

Alcohol itself is a type of solvent, I wonder what it would take to clean it thoroughly, as in no residual fumes?

I bet that if you piped in air (low pressure higher volume) and let it escape, the ISO would evaporate pretty quickly and if you let it run for another day I doubt that you'd smell any in the IBC tote.

Plain water will rinse it out....ISO and water mix readily and is what is used to allow water and gasoline to mix, "drying" fuel.

I think it may depend on the plastic composition. Some types are more porous than others, and may absorb odors.

Found this out while trying to clean plastic barrels for maple sap storage. I think esshup's suggestion, as well as Rainman's, are what I would try first. Easy and inexpensive.

Thanks guys, I just might go get one. It's close by, compared to others around.

I wonder if I just rinse it out good, then let it sit opened for a couple weeks, would that get enough fumes out? I imagine those vapors rise?

I don't think you'd have any problem with that one. You could test it with cheap goldfish and rosey reds from a pet store.

The two I have were used to tote wood mulch dye. They took a lot of scrubbing and powerwashing.

Wait till you try and remove butter residue from plastic, all while using food-safe methods only. Took most of the summer.

Tony:

You try dawn dish soap and hot water?

F&C, leave the ball valve open too. If it't outside and in the sun, any solar heating will set up a convection current and move more air.

This would be the best method for alcohol. With such a low boiling point the alcohol will be removed easy with a little hot water.

Cheers Don.

Oh yeah I did. Many MANY times in succession. What hinders progress is the inability to get down in and SCRUB the interior. I finally decided that since the barrels would be utilized horizontally for storage, I could probably get by with cutting a "hatch" into their sides, which I did.

Then I could reach in and scrub, which did the trick. As far as odors, I have the best luck with simply leaving the container open to the air, and waiting. Flushing with air as you suggested seems to me like an excellent idea, and would probably hurry the process along.

By the way, if odor is a concern, avoid reusing food safe plastics that once contained pickles.....wow.

Like you mentioned Spark, I think it would be a terrible job if you had to do much actual scrubbing without cutting the tote open. I am not sure yet if I want to cut the top off, or just leave it as is. As pointed out, the alcohol should be easily dissolved with water so that will let me have some options.

Perhaps if one had pickles stored in it, you would be able to by-pass making tartar sauce for fish sandwiches. Fish would be pre -pickled. Just add mayo and your ready to go.....

When I worked for shell oil any container that held a hydrocarbon we had to purge with O2 until the hydrocarbon reading was below a certain parts per million. Then we could enter the container or chamber. O2 is a very good cleanser.