What is the best way to clean a red wine barrel for use as a planter?

Question

I have a half wine barrel that was used for a dark red wine (the inside is stained red). I have heard that these can be hazardous for the plants. What is the best way to clean it out so that I can use it as a planter without killing my plants?

Answer 1

I really don't think the residue that is left in the barrel will hurt anything.

But you can clean it with, vinegar, even use baking soda. The vinegar about a cup and scrub the surface If you use baking soda wet the barrel and sprinkle the dry baking soda on and use a brush to clean it. Either way you will need to rinse it out well. Let it dry completely. before you use it.

You might want to consider if you haven't already having holes drilled into the bottom.

http://www.mastergardenproducts.com/spli...

The red wine stain remains in the barrels are natural and do not effect your planting in any way if you do use these barrel planters as water garden containers. The red stains can be minimize by using baking soda to clean out some of them, but complete elimination of the stains will take several times of water change.

Answer 2

No need to clean it out,,, as extex says, the alcohol is long gone, the stain does not hurt anything, in fact I think the stain adds a bit of character,,, it's what sets your barrel apart from from the mass produced wanna-be's.

Answer 3

Unless that barrel was just cut open the other day it is safe to plant flowers in. The alcohol has already long evaporated and only some colored residue remains....and that will not harm your plants. Just rinse it out...if you want you can use a wire brush to scrub it out more.

I have used those barrel halves to make small Koi ponds with lilly pads in them....and everything lived just fine.