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TxBrew

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I loaned a glass carboy to a friend awhile back. I need it so I went over this morning and got it out of his storage. Apparently he used as some sort of fish experiment or something. He got deployed so I'm not 100% sure what he did with it but there is a collection of thick algae and black/white mold caked in it now. Smells god awful.

I'm not sure what he did with it. Since I don't know should I just not use it or try to clean anyways? If he put some harmful chemicals in it should a really thorough cleaning be able to get rid of most everything?
 
They store all kinds of nasty nasty things in glass due
to it's ability to not take them up or react.

I'd say you're fine with a THOROUGH cleaning.
 
Definitely needs an oxyclean soak.... I've heard of several people that use the acid carboys that Chem departments get filled with hydrochloric acid.
 
Start with a good long soak with PBW at recommended concentrations. We're talking, several days. Also use a carboy brush to scrub as much crud off as you can mechanically. Scrub again a few times day. After a few days, scrub really well and dump it. If there's still crap in there, do another PBW soak with a new solution. I don't know of too many things that can withstand that barrage.
 
Do you have a jet bottle/carboy washer? I would use that along with the oxyclean or PBW soak to make sure water pressure helps blow anything out of there. Also if it smells bad after consider soaking in water and bakingsoda as well.
 
very warm water, oxiclean(and add a couple of drops of manual dish detergent with initial soak) or PBW, and manual agitation. Repeat several times. That glass will come clean with out any adverse side effects.

Oxiclean is only active for a few hours at best, so you'll need to repeat more often with Oxiclean.
PBW contains Sodium Metasilicate(liquid glass) and as such likes to bond to/etch glass if allowed to dry on those surfaces. Be sure to give a good rinse to ensure all metasilicate is rinsed.
 
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