Cleaning plastic containers?

[Turtlecreek]

Does anyone clean plastic jugs before bottling in them? The guidlines here in Pa. say that they should be cleaned before bottling and not to trust that they come clean from the bottle supplier.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I don't have time to clean hundreds of plastic pint and quart bottles each year and likely I would contaminate them more than they already are. Bottling syrup in them at 190 degrees should take care of anything in them. Doubt any of the big producers clean them either.

[ennismaple]

When you buy a case of plastic jugs they come upside down so they should be fine. We do a quick visual check before it gets filled.

[PerryW]

I have never cleaned any plastic jugs before filling but.....

1) I store them in the house where mice can't get into them.

2) keep the in the carton and plastic until ready to use.

3) put the caps on loosely while waiting for the syrup to heat up to avoid any dust getting in them.

4) Just prior to filling, I turn them upside down and give them a twack against a table to dislodge any stray pieces of plastic that might be in the container from the manufacturing process.

[Matt Hatch]

You do want to shake your jugs my good friend was bragging ho good his syrup was and it was good untill the spider came out at the end of the bottle needless to say he shakes em now.

[NH Maplemaker]

In my canner there is hot water that keep the syrup at 190 degrees. Just as a safty I reinse the jugs out before we fill them ! For reson all ready stated (spiders) They love dark places. Boy I feel my face getting red already, if that ever happened ! Jim L.