How do you clean algae out of an automatic waterer?

Question

I am dog sitting for someone and they have one of those big jugs of water that automatically keeps the bowl filled. It looks like there must be some algae in it because the water in the jug is tinted green (although it looks fine in the bowl). The mouth of the jug is narrow and the jug is really big, so I can't really stick anything in there to wipe it out. Is there some sort of cleaner I can use in there that won't harm the dogs? Vinegar maybe? The jug is made of plastic so I can't use anything that will corrode it.

Answer 1

Soap, water and a splash of bleach, fill part way, add a handful of gravel (or raw rice), hold hand over opening and shake like crazy.  The gravel or rice or marbles or whatever you use scours out the inside.  Rinse several times to eliminate the soap and bleach.

Answer 2

White Vinegar is perfect for this sort of cleaning, just pour in to the algae line and soak overnight then add warmed water not hot to avoid melting the plastic container and shake vigorously, this should remove the algae or you can use a babies bottle brush to help remove the algae as well as the vinegar, you can also add Baking Soda to the vinegar and allow it to fizz and foam off the algae and soak for several hours after the foaming and fizzing has stopped Good Luck !

Answer 3

An algae scraper is an option.

There are several different types on the market that you can purchase.