How To: Reuse Franzia (or any other "Wine-In-A-Box") or: A compact, airproof bag for liquids.

So, last night I found myself at a party, full of people with questionalbe taste in alcohol. Needless to say, By the end of the evening, there were several empty boxes of wine (which dosen't actually come in a box).
as I was breaking down the empty wine boxes, I realized something very important. The bags inside the boxes are heavy-gauge plastic, and have removable valves. Finally! something I can use to bring along a decent wine on my next camping trip, or any other of the myriad uses these bags will undoubtedly find (even a solar shower). the new franzia boxes come with a spigot-type valve, which (after a bit of pulling and twisting) are removable. Finally! a way to take a nice bottle of wine with you on a camping trip, or a good, sturdy plastic bag with a built-in valve. here's the skinny:

Step 1 Empty the Bag/Box of wine.

fortunately this first step will be done for you by the partygoers, if not, I recommend squeezing. Drink this foul liquid at your own risk.

Comments

[phlogs]

If you buy a box of coffee from DnD or STBX, the coffee itself comes in a mylar-looking bag with a similar looking valve. As the bag is empty until you purchase the box of joe and if you don't let the coffee linger too long, you would have a much easier time getting the residual smell/taste out. The silvery mylar would probably make for a better solar shower...

[msdrpepper]

Ohhhhh THAT's how they get the coffee into those boxes!? I've seen them for sale at STBX but duhhhh okay so I'm a little dense. But I should get one for road trips, even if it is cold, I can still sweeten it with liquid stevia and it would taste better then some of the nasty joe at roadside gas stations... eww. And silver mylar... great idea. Hey I have some extra wine box bags coming up, if anyone wants one, let me know...

[KittyF]

we're non drinkers around here, I'd love one or two. do you still have any extra?

[0.775volts]

Our local Panera bread has these as well. I haven't tried anything with them, but they'll probably work pretty well. have you checked to see what kind of valve assembly they use? are they as easily removed as the franzia valves? On a side note: I added a step with the anti-skunk solution (also featured on mythbusters), as it does a decent job of removing the wine smell. You're correct about the coffee, I would guess that as long as you emptied the bag while the coffee was still hot, it would probably have very little smell. I like the silver as well, i'll reflect more heat and keep the wine from getting too hot (on my last trip, the wine got way too hot, I had to put it in a stream for over two hours to cool it down)

[mountainmandan]

Great idea!  Foil bags work way better than the clear plastic ones. They don't let light in, so it's a lot harder for bacteria to grow.  I've found that they hold on to the smell of whatever liquid was inside much less than the clear plastic.  You still need to rinse them:  one ounce bleach and half bag of hot water, rinse and repeat, hang dry for a couple days.  I've used the pillow idea while backpacking before.  Water bag by day, pillow at night!

[KittyF]

If you're planning to lay your head on a pillow of water, I wouldn't. water absorbs all your body heat and could leave you with an ear ache at least.

[lynnr97303]

I did as you said...then filled it partway with water...put it back in the box ...placed it in the freezer with the sput facing up and open. Now I have a nice block of ice for a cooler and fresh cold water for a trip. The next bag I get I plan on making sun-tea before freezing.

[KathyNY]

I think these could be reused to store virgin olive oil or olive oil in to keep it free from oxidation caused by air and deterioration from light - and the spigot will make use pretty easy....try it and let me know what you think and I will try it and post feedback if I do.

[CoffeeWoman]

This idea is sooooo going to the playa! I may have to play around with dollar store/yard sale backpacks and some food-safe tubing - homemade camelback... As far as the odor and bacteria issues, try using campden tablets. You can get them from home brew stores and work great to clean, deodorize and sanitize wine making equipment, which should do the trick for the Franzia bags.

[djcssp]

Try adding a 1/2 cup of white vinegar to the water and let that set overnight. Vinegar removes nasty odors from closed areas when placed in a cup with a cotton ball in it. I got the smell of a dead bird out of my car with it.

[TATTERH00D]

Based on the comments for this instructable, another could be started on "Many Ways to Destench Your Stuff" Excellent I'ble, I'll start saving these up to leave a little trail magic on the AT!

[msdrpepper]

vinegar, baking soda and hydrogen peroxide are all good ways to de-stench the funk out of funky stinky stuff. I used it on my wine bag too... that and I let it hang up valve part down, from my little pink clothespin-endowed lingerie hanger - let the air circulate around inside it. Worked well.

[blodefood]

You could also remove odours from plastic using  some borax dissolved in water.  Let sit ovenight.

[freerunnin1]

this gave me the idea of a DIY camel back or platapus lol

[mikesty]

For some reason, I misread this as "airPORT-proof" and thought this was about sneaking liquids onto planes. Pretty cool otherwise :D

[msdrpepper]

bet you could bring it into the airport... it's all plastic, not like it will trip off the metal detector. but these days probably not a bright idea..

[outtokill]

dam thats smart

[sageridder]

I know hot water sets in many stains blood,juice ect., did you try soap and cool water to see if it would remove the smell.For the solar shower idea couldn't you spray paint one side black?

[0.775volts]

You could paint it black, but I'm not sure what that would do to the plastic. I've made a solar shower from these by just filling it with creek water and wrapping it in a black t-shirt. this also makes it easy to hang, since you can just put a stick through the sleeves and hang that in a tree.

[FunkNattidelic]

I see a winesack and i want it painted black...

[Senseless]

I could not foresee this thing happening to you...

[eviloverlord]

These things also make small but handy inflatable pillows. They're strong enough to survive a skull resting on them and can be blown up as soft/hard as you like.

[msdrpepper]

Oooh another most excellent idea!! Would be great for roadtrips where I want to nap in the car!! I'll have to try this. Maybe Ghondi can save me some of his bags the next time his mom's friends come and get loaded at their place (a box a DAY? and here I'm thinking I'm such a lush if I go through more then one a box a YEAR! guess I are a prude! hahahahah!)?? Hmmm I think I'm just gonna slam down that last cup and get started to cleaning my bag. Scientific inquiry beats vacuuming the floors any day! haha.

[Granny_Leah]

Ooh, nice! The kids drink that stuff from time to time. I'll have to divert one from the trash next time. Thanks much for the idea.

[Mz3FRS]

I clean plastics with a bleach solution to remove residual smells/tastes. Maybe a tablespoon or 2 of chlorine bleach in a 3/4 full bladder. Shake it around, rinse well. If that doesn't work, try soaking it overnight. This removes the tequilla/lime smell from a nalgene bottle quite effectively IME.

[Savant]

Ding ding ding.... We have a winner. I'm a home brewer and cleanliness is tantamount to successful brewing. We use bleach to sanitize all out equipment. It cleans just about everything and rinses clean. It's also used extensively in the food service industry. Glenn

[kingred]

you have very pale, hairy fingers.

[0.775volts]

Thanks, I try.

[Dungeonbrownies]

So many people have awful ideas. Add a lil lemon water and rinse it about inside and fill it up withthe lemony water for about half of the sack or, leave the bag open a lil afterwards and pop it in the freezer. Break it up every now and then so it doesnt teat the bag. eventually oyoull have slushy lemony icy chunks in semifreezee bits. keep doing that as long as you can until it forms a big mass of lemony freezy bits. then dump in as much bakingsoda as you dare and fiill it with hot water. Close the bag slightly or lightly plug it with your finger and let th melting, foaming action clean that bag straight out withot any bad smell. ice traps smells. Foam brings out bits. lemon is just plain pleasant. =D

[megziewoodles]

We call it "goon" over here. Damn, it's vile stuff.

[dchall8]

AS SEEN ON TV You could probably clean the inside with Oxyclean. That stuff really is amazing.

[TheStoneCrusher]

I'm not sure this will work on 'plastic', but when a dog got skunked they would use tomato juice to get rid of the smell. Then someone suggested mouth wash!!! It successfully deskunked my dog. Worth a try. I don't have anything to try it on . . .

[leevonk]

apparently tomato juice has a chemical which desensitizes your olphactory cells. So it's not actually getting rid of the smell, just making you smell it less. I guess it depends on your definition of 'smell' :)

[oread]

Just let the Bicarbonate of soda sit dry in the bottle until you plan to use it for portable water for camping and doing up the dishes. It will heat up a bit if the box is painted flat black.

[DanYHKim]

re: DunkinDonuts coffe in a box. I would think your local DnD would be willing to sell you the box without the coffee, if you want to start with a clean mylar bag. You might even get them to knock the price down a bit.

[Richuu]

Use Bicarbonate of Soda in warm water to remove the odour.

[Matt3232]

I thought you could also get apple juice in similar valve-box containers. Maybe try to find that, it would smell a whole lot better.

[0.775volts]

Just wanted to update you guys, I added an extra step, 'cause the bag still smells of wine.

[Myself]

I store coolers and water jugs with a handful of baking soda inside. Works like a charm, they don't smell like plastic after a year in the attic. If you want it dry, shove a few spare desiccant bags in there with the soda. If you're just trying to get the smell out before immediately refilling with liquid, try storing it overnight with a stiff solution of baking soda in water, massaged into the corners.

[EvilLawnGnome]

It will be very hard to get the wine smell out. I think the plastic actually absorbs some of the wine on a microscopic level. Check the automotive section at *mart. You want industrial strength degreaser. The bottle should say "safe for use in kitchens", which means its safe to use here. Follow the directions on the bottle and use hot water. I worked at mcdonalds when i was in highschool; they had some industrial strength degreaser that could cut ANYTHING. I used to steal the concentrate to use at home. :D