Home / Services / Reconditioning
Reconditioning — the part of the business we're proudest of.
We will recondition your totes too — not just the ones we own. If you have a fleet of bottles you keep refilling, you can ship them in for wash + re-cert and we'll send them back ready to fill again. This is the most carbon-efficient way to use a tote, period.
Send your fleet for re-wash
Same form, every page. Tell us what you've got or what you need; we send a real quote (not a sales drip).
Two wash protocols
Industrial — 3-step
- High-pressure hot-water pre-rinse (180°F).
- Hot caustic recirculation (1.5–3% NaOH, 30 min).
- Triple HP rinse to potable spec.
Used for coolant, lube, mineral oil, base chemistry. Turn-around: 24 hours per batch of 12.
Food-grade — 7-step
- Pre-rinse and visual inspection.
- Caustic recirculation (3% NaOH, 45 min).
- Citric acid neutralization rinse.
- Sanitizing rinse (peracetic acid).
- Multiple HP rinses.
- Final rinse with sampling and bench test.
- Visual + UV inspection, batch logged.
Used for food, beverage, soap, cosmetic. Turn-around: 48 hours per batch of 8.
Beyond the wash
- Cage repair. Hydraulic press, drop test. We salvage about 94% of cages.
- Gasket swap. EPDM standard; Viton or PTFE on request.
- Valve replacement. 2" ball is standard; butterfly, camlock, sanitary tri-clamp available.
- Leak test. 30 psig hold for 5 minutes. Pass-fail logged with batch ID.
- UN re-certification. Where the bottle qualifies, we re-cert under the original drop-test regime.
- Re-label. Custom labels for fleet operators — we'll print your batch and lot info.
Pricing
| Service | Per unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial wash (3-step) | $45 | Includes leak test. |
| Food-grade wash (7-step) | $75 | Includes batch log + sampling. |
| Cage straighten | $22 | Per cage; salvage rate 94%. |
| Gasket swap (EPDM) | $8 | Includes labor. |
| UN re-certification | $28 | Per qualifying bottle. |
Send-in service for fleet operators
If you operate a fleet of refillable IBCs and just need them washed and re-certified, we run a send-in service that's more economical than buying reconditioned product cycle after cycle.
How it works
- Schedule a pickup of your dirty fleet (or drop off at our yard).
- We run them through the appropriate wash protocol (3-step or 7-step).
- Cage straighten, gasket replace, valve swap as needed (line items).
- Pressure & leak test with batch log.
- Re-cert under UN31HA1/Y where the bottle qualifies.
- Return delivery (or you pick up).
Pricing for fleet wash
| Service | Per tote | Volume discount |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial wash (3-step) | $45 | 10%+ at 50+ totes/cycle |
| Food-grade wash (7-step) | $75 | 10%+ at 30+ totes/cycle |
| Cage straighten (when needed) | $22 | — |
| Gasket swap (EPDM) | $8 | — |
| Valve replacement (2" ball) | $22 | — |
| UN re-certification | $28 | — |
| Pressure & leak test (no wash) | $15 | — |
Wash water reclaim — the specifics
We reclaim 92% of our wash water. Here's how the loop works:
- Wash bay drain. Used wash water goes into a sediment pit.
- Sediment removal. Solids settle out; liquid moves to the equalization tank.
- pH adjustment. Caustic and citric streams are neutralized to ~pH 7.
- Three-stage filtration. Coarse → fine → carbon filtration removes residual organics.
- Reclaim tank. Filtered water returns to the wash-bay supply tank for the next cycle.
- Discharge (8% of total). The remaining 8% goes to evaporation or sewer with proper permits.
This system reduces our fresh water draw by about 92% compared to a once-through wash bay. It also eliminates most chemical discharge to the local sewer system.
Quality control checks
Every batch of reconditioned totes goes through a six-point inspection before leaving the wash bay:
- Visual bottle inspection. Crazing, staining, deformation.
- Cage geometry check. Diagonal measurement; press if > 1/2" out.
- Gasket condition. Soft, intact, fully seated. Replace if needed.
- Valve operation. Smooth open/close through full range.
- Leak test. 30 psig hold for 5 minutes.
- Final wash sample (food-grade only). Bench test for residual organics.
Pass/fail logged with operator initials. The batch log accompanies every food-grade tote that ships.
FAQ — reconditioning service
How long is turn-around?
Industrial wash: ~24 hours per batch of 12. Food-grade wash: ~48 hours per batch of 8. So for a 50-tote fleet, plan on 4-7 days from drop-off to ready-for-pickup.
Do I have to send minimum quantities?
No minimum, but per-unit cost scales with batch size. A single tote wash costs the same in setup as a 12-tote batch, so we usually recommend at least 5-10 totes per send-in.
Can I observe the wash?
Yes — we run informal yard tours Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and you can usually see a wash cycle in progress. By appointment for any other day.
What's in the wash chemistry?
Industrial: hot 1.5-3% sodium hydroxide, then triple HP rinse. Food-grade: caustic, citric neutralization, peracetic acid sanitizer, multiple HP rinses. Standard FDA-acceptable chemistry.
Can you replace valves and gaskets during the wash cycle?
Yes. Valve replacement, gasket swaps, cage straightening, and leak testing are all standard add-on services we can handle while the tote is already in the wash line.