Cleaning water bladders

[branches]

We have just cleaned the bladder with fresh water and then let it dry out. We put a wire in the bladder to keep it open to dry it out Just hang it up and wipe it out first.

[Seahawk12]

You guys that put them in the freezer, aren't you worried about the plastic breaking down?

Not at all.
I've been doing it for 15 or 20 years and I can't say its hurt them any more than normal wear and tear does.

[HikerHunter]

I clean with soap and water at some point after I return, then put the hose in the bladder to prop it open and hang it in my closet for a week to dry

[yakimanoob]

Pretty well covered here.  If you can get them BONE DRY, then it doesn't matter where you store them; but good luck getting them properly dry unless you have a reversible hydrapak (Can't say I don't want one of those...  but I already have an Osprey Hydraulics one that's got a lifetime warranty on it sooooooo).  If you're going more than a few weeks between uses, the freezer is a good option and definitely won't bother the plastic. 

@Stein isn't wrong, but for me adding some electrolytes a la nuun tabs is a game-changer for my energy level on stiff climbs.  Adding sugars to the equation definitely makes proper cleaning more important and necessary more often, but for me it's worth it. 

[huntnfmly]

Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond with your experience and info