Removing odour from storage barrel

daivid

I've bought a second hand plastic barrel to keep a bulk order of flour in. The barrel came clean but with a residual odour of whatever it held in its first use (smells like lime pickle to me). 

So far I've tried airing the barrel, scrubbing with hot water and washing up liquid, bicarbonate of soda dry left overnight, then scrubbing with a bicarbonate paste left overnight. The odour is less strong but still there and I don’t want the flour tainted as the odour seems to build up again when the barrel is sealed.

-taff

Look at the lid and the seal in that.

daivid

-taff said:

Look at the lid and the seal in that.

It all seems to be clean, and I've cleaned the lid in the same way as the barrel (no separate seal on this one).

Emmia

It might be the odour has permeated into the plastic...

daivid

Emmia said:

It might be the odour has permeated into the plastic...

To some extent I think it has. The odour seems to be much weaker after cleaning but I don’t want it transferring to the flour over the months some of it will be in there for. The flour is in one large bag (currently unopened). I could put that bag in extra large plastic food storage bags (I have some big enough to fully envelop it as a pair), would that risk condensation and mould in the flour? The barrel has that risk too but I planned to put some silica jell sachets in to curb that. I wonder if i should also (or instead) put a few tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda in the bottom of the barrel to absorb odour (and moisture?). 

Emmia

daivid said:

Emmia said:

It might be the odour has permeated into the plastic...

To some extent I think it has. The odour seems to be much weaker after cleaning but I don’t want it transferring to the flour over the months some of it will be in there for. The flour is in one large bag (currently unopened). I could put that bag in extra large plastic food storage bags (I have some big enough to fully envelop it as a pair), would that risk condensation and mould in the flour? The barrel has that risk too but I planned to put some silica jell sachets in to curb that. I wonder if i should also (or instead) put a few tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda in the bottom of the barrel to absorb odour (and moisture?). 

If the odour has permeated the plastic barrel then it could also permeate the plastic storage bags, especially those in for a long time.

Rosa_Damascena

daivid said:

I've bought a second hand plastic barrel to keep a bulk order of flour in. The barrel came clean but with a residual odour of whatever it held in its first use (smells like lime pickle to me). 

So far I've tried airing the barrel, scrubbing with hot water and washing up liquid, bicarbonate of soda dry left overnight, then scrubbing with a bicarbonate paste left overnight. The odour is less strong but still there and I don’t want the flour tainted as the odour seems to build up again when the barrel is sealed.

I think the culpri might be mustard oil. Google that vital ingredient for an answer - although I expect it will be impossible to shift if it has impregnated the plastic.

Rosa_Damascena

I think you might be better reserving the barrel for garden usage and buying a new dustbin for the flour. Both will last for decades.

Nelliegrace

We got some food grade 10kg plastic containers from Asda in store bakery for about 30p. They had the topping dough for “tiger bread” in them. Morrison’s fish stall provided free polystyrene boxes for the modern version for hay box cooking. It might be worth asking around.