Grow Your Own Magazine

I have a smelly water butt lol, i had the same problem last year, we emptied it and gave it a good clean with jeyes fluid, this year it is the same, smelly and slimy, is it ok to still use this water to water my garden with?.Would putting a drop of jeyes fluid in the water butt help to clean it, and would this also be safe to use on my garden.

I am afraid that just what happens to water butts. The slime are bacteria and the water is safe.

try adding some lavender or other plant petals crushed to the water it may help improve the smell a little.

thank you both for the advice.

I think the Victorians used charcoal to keep stored water sweet but I don't know the details.

someone did suggest getting goldfish in it, to eat the little bugs etc and keep it clean - but you would have to remember to keep it topped up or one dead dried goldfish when the rain doesnt fall - oh and no lid!

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The insects and larvae that the fish eat are the ones that feed on the bacteria and therefore reduce the smell themselves. But I'd have one anyway.

nothing worse than a smelly butt

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Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

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Couldn't resist doing some research. We have had a problem in the past with smelly water although it seems that we use water more rapidly at the moment.

I digress...

I searched for any references to how the Victorians kept stored water sweet and came up with this...

Victorian London - Publications - Etiquette and Household Advice Manuals - Cassells Household Guide, New and Revised Edition (4 Vol.) c.1880s [no date] - The House - (1) Water Supply - (2) cont. - (3) cont.

It's a bit hard going but there are some useful ideas such as allowing air into the butt and rocking it to aerate that we're going to try. Got to balance letting air in against evaporation and contamination though. Also, we're going to try constructing filters from charcoal going into and coming out of the butt to see if they help and how much they restrict flow.

Interesting thread, will get back to you.

hey thanks for that, will have a read thru later.Gardening to be done, lol

Jeys Fluid instructions as on tin


WATER BUTTS:
Application - Scrub with a solution of 15ml to 5L of water to clean water butts.
To freshen water add 5 ml Jeyes fluid to a full water butt.

Timing: When necessary.