I'm going to buy my cooler tonight

[KayakinBoy]

I'm biting the bullet and building a cooler. I'm gunna start small with this:

(Mine won't have cup holders)

it's 60 quarts, so I'm getting everything in order, and my biggest question is, I read on the "build a cooler" page to clean it with non-scented bleach, then let it dry, then baking soda. And when I search CP I saw where people told other members to clean it with dishing washing liquid and let it air dry for the day.

Which method is more effective?

And also, does it matter if some of the boxes stay open in the cooler? I wouldn't think it would, but just wondered. I've got several wooden boxes and a tray for singles, all ready for it! I'll be taking pics.

 

[Rob_k]

cool KB, good luck with it, and looking foward to pics. I think the bleach kills the plastic smell better than the dishwashing liquid, i could be wrong though.

 

[cigarsarge]

The bleach does clean out the plastic smell. Hope you got some beads. :thumbs:

 

[The Master]

What ever you do don't add bleach. Just open it up dump your cigars in it. Get some cedar boxes if you can and some cedar dividers. Put in a hunk of floral foam that is wet from distilled water and that is all you need to do.

Before I got my cabinet I had 3 150 qt and 2 48 qt collers in use, that is all I ever did to mine and my cigars were fine.

 

[RPB67]

Nice.

Go large, Go large. You will not be sorry !

And definately no bleach. The Master is 100% correct. Cedar boxes will do the trick. Try to season it with just some empty cedar boxes for a few days and that aroma will be locked in that humi before you know it.Then of course its the beads for one of those. That is the ONLY way to go.

GO LARGE - you will not be sorry.

 

[KayakinBoy]

Alright, the master says no bleach, and the starting a cooler instructions say use bleach?! While I trust both opinions, I'm a little lost.

I've got loads of cedar spills and tons of boxes, so it's not a problem to line it. Do you glue the wood to the sides? lol. I think I'm gunna document the whole thing for future reference! lol

 

[cvmfour]

I've never used bleech on the 2 coolers I have owned. On my current 100qt. cooler, all I did was use non-scented dish washing liquid and then let it air dry.

For the spanish cedar smell, I just used some spanish cedar strips that come in cuban boxes. I didn't glue them to the bottom, but just put'm down there and rest boxes/trays on top of them.

Congrats and good luck!

Go Large!

 

[Shibumi]

I used industrial velcro instead of glue. Get a BIGGER cooler!!

 

[Captain Leafheart]

I bought that same cooler a couple of months ago (only it didn't have the nifty pull-up handle and wheels) for beach use.
My wife figures I'll be using it for something else soon enough!
I thought it might be kind of small, but it'll be a cool starter.
I'll clean mine with bleachy water and leave the lid open for a while to rid it of any bleach/plastic smell and keep the smokes in their boxes whenever I get around to converting it.
I DID hot glue cedar sheets (from cigar boxes) to the interior of a tupperdor though and that worked out very nicely.

 

[BkCloud114]

That is a nice looking cooler...... but come on man !!!!

You hang out here enough to know that it has to be BIGGER

I never cleaned mine out with anything...... Used 2 pieces of cedar I bought from E-bay and put the cigars in it... I used some small self-tapping screws to hold it in place, just don't over-tighten them.

Good Luck..... the cooler was the best thing I ever did

 

[dvickery]

this may be against the grain but i go with coolers that hold about 500 cigars...50 liters is about right...storage for 500 cigars is good for about 2 years for me and my buying/smoking habits.but i would go with the style with a larger top...means larger bottom and shorter sides...less digging to the bottom.

i do NOT use bleach or soap...just wipe it down with a clean wet cloth.
nor do i glue or velcro anything inside...just use them and beads.

derrek

 

[KayakinBoy]

Guys, when I started here lsat oct, I had this:

Now my 100 count and 25 count are maxed and I'm moving up into the small cooler. Give it time, I'm sure once I'm done with school and other bills, I'll just go HUGE!

thanks for all the input, BTW.

 

[Lumberg]

Just open it up dump your cigars in it. Get some cedar boxes if you can and some cedar dividers. Put in a hunk of floral foam that is wet from distilled water and that is all you need to do.

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I think I may have checked the insides and wiped em down with just a damp cloth if I saw some debris, but for the most part this is all you need to do.

Also LOL@ "mine won't have cup holders"

 

[BlindedByScience]

I would never, ever, use bleach inside a cooler that I planned to store smokes in.

A chemist buddy of mine pointed out that what you are trying to do is drive the excess chemicals out of the surface of the plastic. Very hot water will do that quite well; it expands the plastic just a bit and allows the stuff to "out gas" a bit. When it cools, you should be good to go. After that treatment, I let mine air out in the sun for a day and I've had no issues.

As far as the insides, I just hit the local cigar store and got some unfinished cedar boxes. Gars went in the boxes, and they went inside the cooler. Less wasted space that way over trying to line the cooler, methinks. And, no worries about trying to find some adhesive that won't foul the air, as it were.

Mine's a 50 Qt Coleman that's been up for about three months. Works fantastically; 65% / 68F almost constantly.....

Good Luck - B.B.S.

 

[SabresFan]

My cooler is a little bit smaller than yours and I wish I went much bigger. As far as prep work goes, all I did is let a box of baking soda sit in it for a day then added some cedar boxes for another day. No plastic smell at all.

Currently my cooler houses 4 boxes and about 15 singles, I had a tough time keeping the humidity down initially using crystals from CI, I took the crystals out and it has been holding at 68-69% without any humidification inside. Beads definitely would have emiminated a weeks worth of agrevation dealing with the high humidity, so definitely get some beads for your cooler.

Post some picks of the end product if you can.

 

[PSTAN]

I'm biting the bullet and building a cooler. I'm gunna start small with this:

(Mine won't have cup holders)

it's 60 quarts, so I'm getting everything in order, and my biggest question is, I read on the "build a cooler" page to clean it with non-scented bleach, then let it dry, then baking soda. And when I search CP I saw where people told other members to clean it with dishing washing liquid and let it air dry for the day.

Which method is more effective?

And also, does it matter if some of the boxes stay open in the cooler? I wouldn't think it would, but just wondered. I've got several wooden boxes and a tray for singles, all ready for it! I'll be taking pics.

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I have nearly the same cooler,with out wheels. I can honestly say if you can find the rectangular ones and have the room for one go with that shape (rectangular). The reason I mention this is when you start putting a lot of boxes in that are various sizes getting them to stack in can be a pain in the AZZ.

Phillip

 

[gkpk]

Congrats on your first cooler.
Do not use bleach to clean it, if anything just a little dishwashing liquid would do the trick.

Good Luck

 

[SabresFan]

have nearly the same cooler,with out wheels. I can honestly say if you can find the rectangular ones and have the room for one go with that shape (rectangular). The reason I mention this is when you start putting a lot of boxes in that are various sizes getting them to stack in can be a pain in the AZZ.

Phillip

This is very true go with rectangle shape, I actually ended up keeping mine resting on its side so it opens from the side versus opening from the top. It made stacking and arranging boxes inside much easier. Next opportunity I am getting another cooler in rectangular shape.

 

[KayakinBoy]

I'm thinking of dropping in a shelf, anyone do that? it's got slots. What wood should I use/or not use.

Time to search!

 

[Shibumi]

I'm thinking of dropping in a self, anyone do that? it's got slots. What wood should I use/or not use.

Time to search!

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I used spanish cedar shelves, but I have seen people use wire closet shelves.