What can I do with buckets which were used to store chlorine?

Ldychef2k

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I have 12 seven gallon buckets that were used to store chlorine for swimming pools. Is there any way to leach out some of the chlorine so that I can use them for something? And what?
 

davaroo

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Maybe store something else in them?

Leave them to soak full of water, and then empty and leave them out in the sun for a period. I believe chlorine will evaporate off after enough exposure.

They should be good for several years, so something will present itself.
 

eggs4sale

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We have several of these that my husband brought home from work when he worked for the city. We've used them for so many things. Storing marshmallow guns, hauling grass trimmings to the chickens, storing PVC pieces, and a bunch of other things I can't think of right now. Not one of them remotely smells like chlorine now, and we didn't do anything to them.
 

Ldychef2k

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Thank you. I appreciate your help very much!

Do you think if I filled them with water, waited 48 hours, dumped and repeated, then left out in the sun for a few more days, I could plant anything in them? Digging that hole has provided me with a lot of dirt, so I was thinking even potatoes? Not sure it's safe.
 

FarmerChick

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I would use them for anything but food.

As much as we can clean them...that chlorine is nasty. I got quite a few buckets from the pool and I use them for everything that is nasty..LOL
like hauling dirt, debris, using as a wash bucket for something else, etc.
 

davaroo

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Ldychef2k said:
Thank you. I appreciate your help very much!

Do you think if I filled them with water, waited 48 hours, dumped and repeated, then left out in the sun for a few more days, I could plant anything in them? Digging that hole has provided me with a lot of dirt, so I was thinking even potatoes? Not sure it's safe.
Id leabe them in the open air and sun for a couple of weeks before planting in them. Even then, I'd be tempted to line them with plastic for this season....
 

xpc

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Was it liquid or granular chlorine? Pool chlorine is different than the household bleach type. Does the bucket have an ingredient list?

I would soak with water for many days as you said changing it daily, chlorine comes out of solution fairly well and have my self soaked cat litter buckets with high concentrations of beach for weeks before storing grain and cracked corn for the chicken - two years and no ill effects.
 

Ldychef2k

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Granular pool chlorine. The odor was strong when I pulled them apart. I rinsed them and then filled them with water and put them in direct sunlight. Read up on how people were complaining that their pools lost chlorine quickly, so it made sense.

Have some seed potatoes, so may give them a shot. Nothing ventured....

Thanks.

xpc said:
Was it liquid or granular chlorine? Pool chlorine is different than the household bleach type. Does the bucket have an ingredient list?

I would soak with water for many days as you said changing it daily, chlorine comes out of solution fairly well and have my self soaked cat litter buckets with high concentrations of beach for weeks before storing grain and cracked corn for the chicken - two years and no ill effects.
 

eggs4sale

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I'd grow the potatoes in them, because by the time the potatoes were ready to pull, I wouldn't even remember how old the bucket was, much less what was once in it.

And you won't have gopher problems, unless you have some particularly adventurous gophers.
 

freemotion

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Check this out: http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1967

I grew an amazing crop of lettuce (six plants in the bucket) and swiss chard (two buckets with two plants each) this year with no slugs to deal with. I have enough supplies to make several more, which I will do this winter for the spring. Nice thing is, you can bring them in if you need to extend the season....they are heavy, but you could put them on a dolly near the garage door in the fall or spring.
 
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