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Why I am beginning to hate olives
15 July 2008We have been getting more requests for rain barrels this summer then I would have ever expected. This is great! It feels good knowing that we have helped people conserve thousands of liters or water.
But with all of this progress there is a down side. I am really beginning to hate olives! You see, the barrels that we use are reclaimed plastic barrels that are used to transport olives over from Spain. When we get them off the lot they may have been sitting out in the sun for days, even weeks. When you finally open up the barrel you get a blast of hot olive stench in your face. By the time I finish cleaning them all I can smell is olives. My dinner smells like olives, my kids smell like olives, all I can smell is olives! That is why I hate olives!
We have found that the best way to clean them out is some good eco friendly, phosphate free dish soap, a couple of shots with the hose and a good scrubbing. Then let them sit out in the sun for a couple of days to let them air out. Don’t forget the threads in the lid.
The initial cleaning is important because otherwise your first barrel full of water will be a bit yucky and you may develop a dislike of olives just like I have (if you don’t already hate them)
on July 16th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Be sure to find rain barrels which offer mesh mosquito guards, and also look for barrels which have overflow valves-allowing the excess water to flow out of the rain barrels and away from your foundation. Hooking a drip hose to this valve is a great way to give your garden or flower bed a constant source of moisture.
on August 2nd, 2008 at 12:04 pm
One thing you can do about the stench is to get a respirator mask (about $20 or $30 at home improvement store) that has filters for volatile organic chemicals. They’re pretty much used for painting or working with harsh chemicals, but what’s great about them is you can’t smell anything! You can’t smell olives, cat litter boxes, spray paint, solvents, etc..
One drawback is if you happen to have just eaten something smelly, there is no escaping that stench inside the mask.