I used a carboy brush on my better bottle when I got it in a trade. It sat for a long time,& soaking isn't good for the plastic they say. So I lightly scrubbed it inside,being careful not to let the metal scrape around. Came clean really easy with some PBW. rinsed well immediatly afterward. Those 5 quart ice cream buckets Are the right size for draining them as well.