How to Clean a Cooler Without Chemicals: Quick and Easy
Food, moisture, and stale air can create a smelly and unpleasant situation in your cooler if you don't clean it properly. It's important to keep your cooler clean to maintain good hygiene and ensure the food and drinks you store are safe to consume.
However, be careful about using harsh cleaning products. Strong chemicals in your cooler can mix with your ice and food, and you or your family might end up eating or drinking them.
Keep reading to learn how to clean a cooler without using chemicals so you're always ready for summer fun!
Check out these Yeti Coolers.
First Cooler Cleaning Steps
Before you jump right into cooler cleaning with hard scrubbing and panicking, there are a few important and simple steps to follow. This process helps you get the cooler ready for a good cleaning and makes sure you clean every spot.
Empty and rinse cooler
Start by taking everything out of your cooler. Take out any leftover stuff, ice, or water.
After it's empty, take your cooler outside or to a big sink.
Use a garden hose or tap water to rinse the inside and outside of the cooler well. This first rinse helps get rid of loose dirt and lets you see any tough stains or tricky areas more .
Wipe down interior
After rinsing, you need to clean the inside well.
Put warm water in your cooler and add a bit of dish soap.
Clean the inner parts with a soft brush or sponge. Make sure to clean the corners and gaps where dirt builds up.
If you see tough stains, let them soak in soapy water for 10-20 minutes before you clean them.
When you finish cleaning all the inside, empty the soapy water and rinse the cooler with clean water. Take out all the soap to avoid weird smells or tastes in your drinks and snacks later.
Inspect for Damage
After you've emptied and cleaned your cooler, take a look at it to check for damage.
Search for cracks, chips, or worn spots inside and outside. Make sure the lid and seal (if your cooler has one) close.
If you spot any problems, think about fixing or swapping out the damaged parts to keep your cooler working well and avoid future troubles.
The first cooler cleaning steps involve starting with a fresh base and then disinfecting your cooler with natural ingredients.
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Natural Disinfecting Methods
Now that your cooler is nice and clean, it’s time to disinfect it with natural methods. Doing this will kill bacteria and get rid of any remaining smells for the next time you open it.
Vinegar Solution Spray
Vinegar has a strong disinfecting power that can help keep your cooler clean, and it's simple, too.
To create a vinegar solution, combine equal amounts of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray this mix inside your cooler, covering all surfaces.
Let it sit for about 10 minutes to allow the vinegar to do its job. Then, wipe the inside with a clean cloth and rinse well with water. This method works great for cleaning water coolers with vinegar and getting rid of bacteria.
Baking Soda Scrub
To get an ever deeper clean, you can try a baking soda scrub.
Mix one tablespoon of baking soda with one cup of water to make a paste.
Put this paste on the inside of your cooler and scrub with a soft brush or sponge. Don’t brush too hard, or you might create more scratches that will cause bacteria to grow.
Baking soda is great for removing tough stains and odors. Once you're done scrubbing, rinse the cooler well with clean water.
Lemon Juice Treatment
Lemon juice serves as another natural cleaner that makes your cooler smell fresh. Mix one part lemon juice with two parts water and use this mixture to clean the inside of your cooler.
Lemons contain citric acid that breaks down bacteria and leaves a nice smell. To deal with tough stains, you can rub lemon halves right on the problem spots before washing.
These three natural ways work incredibly well to clean coolers without using harsh chemicals. If you are still struggling to get the smells away and keep them away here is your last line of defense when it comes to natural methods.
Check out these Backpack Coolers.
How to Clean a Cooler and Eliminate Lingering Odors
Even after cleaning your cooler, you might still notice some lingering smells. Don't worry!
You can try several natural ways to get rid of these odors and keep your cooler fresh.
Use Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds have a surprising ability to absorb odors. Just think about how amazing coffee shops smell.
To clean a cooler and remove smells, place a small bowl with about a tablespoon of coffee grounds inside. The nitrogen in coffee has an impact on unpleasant smells.
You don't need to use expensive coffee to do this – any type will work. If you prefer, you can even use dried coffee grounds. Just spread them on a baking sheet and heat them at 250°F to dry them out.
Try Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal is another great way to get rid of odors in your cooler. Its structure is full of tiny holes, which helps it soak up harmful substances and smells from the air.
You can buy activated charcoal in small fabric pouches made just for this.
Hang one of these pouches inside your cooler when you're not using it to keep it smelling fresh. These charcoal pouches can be used more than once – just put them in direct sunlight for a few hours each month to refresh them.
Air Dry
Don’t underestimate the power of drying your cooler. Drying your cooler properly will stop mold and mildew from growing, which causes those bad smells.
Open the lid and put the cooler in a spot with good airflow and sun for a couple of days. This helps all the water evaporate, which makes it less likely that weird odors will form.
Remember, knowing how to clean a cooler properly is essential for maintaining its freshness and extending its lifespan.
Check out these Soft Coolers.
Conclusion
Cleaning your cooler without chemicals is easy with the methods in this guide. You can clean, disinfect, and remove odors from your cooler using natural ingredients like vinegar baking soda, and lemon juice. These simple techniques keep your cooler clean and help it last longer and stay fresh for future use.
FAQs
What's the best way to clean a cooler?
Combine dish soap with baking soda to create a safe and powerful cleaning solution for coolers. You can also use dish soap by itself with warm water to get rid of any food bits that are left. Let the solution sit inside the cooler for the best results. This method is effective for how to clean a cooler and general cooler cleaning.
Can I use vinegar to clean my cooler?
Vinegar works great for cleaning coolers. First, rinse the cooler using a hose or sink sprayer. Mix one part white vinegar with two parts water to make a cleaning solution. Use a rag to scrub the stained spots with this mixture then rinse the cooler well. Set it outside to air-dry with the lid open. This is a fabulous method for how to clean coolers effectively.
Which cleans a water cooler better, bleach or vinegar?
You can use both, but liquid chlorine bleach kills bacteria more than vinegar. To clean with bleach, mix one tablespoon of liquid chlorine bleach with 1 gallon of water. This mixture works well to clean the entire cooler. Both methods are effective for cooler, clean processes.
How do I clean a water cooler without chemicals?
Make a natural cleaner by combining 1 cup of distilled white vinegar with 3 cups of hot water. Pour this into the cooler's tank and wipe the inside with a microfiber cloth. You might want to wear gloves if you have sensitive skin. This method is a great way to clean water coolers with vinegar, providing a natural alternative for cooler cleaning.