Cleaning Pesticide Containers

Empty pesticide containers should be cleaned according to the instructions on the pesticide product label. If the label includes no such cleaning instructions, triple-rinse or clean the containers by a similar method, such as pressure rinsing, immediately after the container is emptied.

To triple-rinse a container, complete the following steps:

• If you used water to mix the pesticide in a mixing tank, use clean water to rinse the empty container as soon as you have finished mixing.
• Fill the empty container with clean water until it is one-quarter full.
• Put the cap on and carefully shake or roll the container so that the water rinses the inside completely.
• Pour the rinse water from the container into the mixing tank, and repeat the rinsing at least two more times.

To pressure rinse a container, using a pressure-rinse nozzle, complete the following steps:

• Insert the nozzle into the side of the container.
• Turning the nozzle in all directions, rinse the inside of the container for at least 30 seconds.
• Drain the container into the mix tank.

Empty containers should be locked away until they can be disposed of properly. Even well-rinsed containers may still contain trace amounts of pesticides, so do not, under any circumstances, re-use the containers for any other purposes or take them home. Some pesticide containers can be returned to the dealer, but they must be properly cleaned first.

To learn more about Pesticide Handler Safety visit our Pesticide Handler Safety Online Training web page.