HelpfulGardener.com

I'm new to the forum & have learned so much from the articles & everyone's input. Thanks!

After reading everything, I really want to compost. Hubby said no way because of the smell. A compost tumbler would be the answer for me. I found directions to make my own compost tumber & you need a 55 gal drum.

A friend gave me a plastic 55 gal drum to use but it held antifreeze used for concrete? I've been trying to learn of a way to clean it so as not to poison the compost. Off a waste management web site I learned that virgin antifreeze (not used) micro organisms in the environment will break it down. It's the contaminents in used antifreeze that don't break down that is dangerous.

Any suggestions? Scrubbing it out, soaking in bleach & water, tumbling sand in it?

Carol

Well, a tumbler is an option but, compost shouldn't smell provided that you

a) have enough browns to supplement your greens
b) You turn it regularly with a pitchfork, shovel or turn the tumbler.

I'm not adept on the neutralization of antifreeze but, at a later date I can look into the WHMIS practices of this process for you.

My compost bin does not smell. I guess I have enough browns to support the greens in there!

But anyway - they don't stink, really they do not. My lidded slopbucket that I toss eggshells and kitchen waste into may smell, but once I've added it to the bin, the smell goes away.

I don't know the answer to your antifreeze question tho - hopefully Opa can find that for you.

I understand it won't smell if it is done correctly - it's my significant other I'm trying to convince. He don't understand the need for making compost either. He thinks I'm off my nut. I guess I'll have to show him!

Get him to read all of the threads that we have in the organic forum. That'll set him straight!

I've been busy on other ventures but, I'll look up the safe way to clean up antifreeze for you.

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/deptmpl.asp?url=/content/dep/factsheets/antifreeze.asp

Towards the bottom is a four step clean up process for cleaning antifreeze, obviously you'll have to modify the process a bit as you are cleaning a drum.

There is a phone # listed, I may call. I had posted here asking if it was safe & wrote a master gardner volunteer for my state & they said absolutely not. I sure don't want to harm anything. I'm afraid it might have absorbed into the plastic???

When I received the drum, I poured clorox in it & rolled it down my back yard hill, & let it drain in my neighbor's itchweed. hehehe

My neigher is a renter & I finally get rid of the itchweed, he blocked it in his backyard so he wouldn't be near it & it's growing back into mine. I had sprayed round up on it with no effect so I gave it a dose of anti-freeze & clorox & that itchweed is starting to die. That is some nasty stuff.

I'm going to advise against using round up. Find the round up thread in the general forum and give it a read. Unfortunately I took it down from being a sticky, so it will probably be buried somewhere in the back pages but, it is still worth giving a read.

Probably just use that great search engine that Roger has put into the site to find the thread.

Thanks for all the help!