Keep the barrels out of direct sunlight.
Algae thrives in sunlight, so keep your barrels in the shade. Algae, just like plants, needs sunlight to grow. If you can keep your rain barrels in the shade, you can starve the algae and keep it from blooming. You could even grow large, bushy plants on or around the rain barrels to provide extra shade.
Use the water in the barrels every 5 to 7 days.
Standing water is more likely to produce algae. Try not to keep a full rain barrel for more than 5 to 7 days at a time. The more often you use the water, the less time the algae will have to establish itself.
Clean your gutters.
Dirty gutters can bring germs and algae down into your rain barrels. Since the rain water runs from your roof, down into the gutters, and then down into your rain barrel, make sure the pathway is clean. Regularly clean your gutters and keep them free of debris to avoid algae blooms. Gutters are usually the dirtiest after a heavy rain. Be sure to check out your gutters after a big rainstorm to make sure they aren’t clogged.
Remove debris from the rain barrel screen.
Rain barrel screens help prevent algae from blooming. Rain barrel screens are small, mesh screens that fit on top of or right inside the barrel itself. Most rain barrels come with a screen—if yours doesn’t, buy one and install it as soon as you can to catch debris. If you’re using one, regularly clean it out to prevent algae from establishing itself. Rain barrel screens are also a great safety measure. They prevent children and small animals from falling inside of your rain barrels.
Clean your rain barrels once a year.
Deep clean your rain barrels annually to prevent algae from establishing. It can be a pain to clean your rain barrels, but fortunately, you only need to do it once a year. Dump all of the water out and use a soft scrub brush to scrub the inside. Use a few drops of dish soap or detergent to quickly clean out your rain barrels. Fall is a great time to clean your rain barrels and get them ready for the rainy season.
Rinse the barrels with diluted bleach once a year.
Bleach safely disinfects your rain barrels and kills algae. If your rain barrels are very dirty or you notice a lot of algae in them, make a bleach solution using ⁄4 c (180 mL) of bleach for every 1 US gal (3.8 L) of water. Scrub the inside of your rain barrels using the bleach solution, then rinse them out thoroughly before setting them back up again. Using very diluted bleach in your rain barrels won’t harm your plants or your garden, especially if you rinse your barrels out thoroughly. Diluted bleach is even used to purify drinking water in some cases, so it’s perfectly fine to use around pets, children, and plants. If you’re not comfortable using bleach, you can also use white vinegar. Make a 1:1 ratio of white vinegar and water, then use it to clean out your rain barrels as a natural disinfectant.
Store the barrel upside down in winter.
Storing your rain barrels prevents bacteria from getting in while they’re empty. During the winter months when no rain is falling, dump the water out of your rain barrels and flip them upside down. Keep them in storage until the temperatures stay above freezing to avoid any damage to your rain barrels.
Comments
0 comment