Can the mold from a water bottle harm you?

[li10up]

One of my Polar water bottles has some mold growing on it that I'm having a tough time getting rid of. Will drinking from this bottle with a bit of mold still hanging on cause any health problems? I know I need to get it cleaned up and I've read the thread that tells how to do so...but just curious if the mold could cause any health problems?

[Crankin]

Well, if it does, then I'm dead...

[Bike Goddess]

Every so often I put straight bleach in my water bottles for that very reason. I then rinse them thoroughly. Have you tried that????

[mimitabby]

it COULD hurt you, use bleach. But don't worry about what you already drank. there's mold and mold spores EVERYWHERE and you are eating them every day.

[DDH]

I always use bleach in mine, and then I squirt it through the lid to clean the mouth piece and everything to.

Beach evaporates so once you let it sit a bit after rinsing it the bleach smell and all will disapate.

[OakLeaf]

Will oxygen bleach harm polyethylene? I know not to put my water bottles in the dishwasher with a chlorine bleach-based detergent, but now that I've started using Seventh Generation, can I put them in? (Please?)

[kjay]

I just ordered two Klean Kanteens and I think they'll be great, as they're stainless steel and lightweight. Not that mold won't grow in SS, but I like the fact that there's no plastic.
http://www.kleankanteen.com/

[mupedalpusher]

Bleach them. I have terrible mold allergies so I avoid it like the plague. My understanding is that it's not that good for anyone and besides it looks gross!

[chicago]

honestly, I'd worry more about the germs you pick up at the grocery store.

but then again I played ice hockey for years, and you really don't know want to know what those water bottles looked like. We played with men, and you know how they are when it came to cleanliness...especially their hockey gear :eek:

and I'm still alive:D

[Zen]

We played with men, and you know how they are when it came to cleanliness...especially their hockey gear :eek:

and I'm still alive:D

Albeit a little itchy :D

[smilingcat]

My newphew got sick drinking stale water out of his moldy water bottle. My sister and I warned him that he WILL get sick. He learned the hard way to a point. At least, he empties out the bottle.

YES DO USE BLEACH. I also scrub out to get rid of the slime. When it comes to food and food safety, I'm a neat nut.

Smilingcat

[7rider]

A friend of mine always said..."Ya gotta eat a peck of dirt before you die."

[Geonz]

If hte nipple gets too slimy your mouth could slip and you could bite your lip... and maybe even drop the bottle...

... and who knows what else could be a-growin' there. I try to remember to shoot chlorinated water through thigns periodically.

[SouthernBelle]

FYI, my bottles go straight to the dishwasher after a ride. Bottom rack. Never had mold. Doesn't hurt them.

[DDH]

I put mine in the dishwasher to. I never heard that it would harm them. Mine seem to be okay. If I'm not fixin to do a load of dishes then I just bleach them like I said earlier. Well, I actually when I re-read, I said beach instead of bleach. I need to go fix that. LOL

[gnat23]

Heh, when I see mold in there, my first instinct is that it's time to do another organized ride and get the freebie bottle. :cool:

-- gnat! (am I the only one that seems to have/get too many??)

[7rider]

(am I the only one that seems to have/get too many??)

Oh, heck NO! :D
We have an entire cabinet in the kitchen dedicated to water bottles!

[Blueberry]

The problem is I only use a few (the insulated ones...)

[Aggie_Ama]

Gnat- I love the freebies! I used to only use Polar until I figured out they didn't seem to really hold their own against the Texas sun. I know the gas stations that will give me free ice on my preferred routes. :D

We throw out our bottles when they get moldy, they just never seem to get clean. This is another reason I stopped using the pricey Polar bottles. To avoid it they get rinsed with really hot water as soon as we are off the bikes.

[SouthernBelle]

Once the weather gets hot, I freeze a polar bottle full of stuff (top off). That really does last.

[Aint Doody]

Me, too, Southern Belle. That way it'll stay cool in the hot weather. I thnk the Polar bottles are great.

I've also just put some liquid dishwasher soap in the Polar bottle and swished it around. Gets rid of the mold. My problem is the lipstick stains. My lipstick has high spf and feels good to me. I can even apply it while on the bike pretty successfully. Any suggestions to get that off? The dishwasher doesn't help much. I try to wipe it off as much as possible before putting the lids into the dishwasher.

[indigoiis]

Use vineagar instead of bleach.

And, I am currently doing some research on PET and water bottles and I highly recommend buying a stainless steel bottle. Also, not a good idea to freeze water in PET.

I am a big proponent of tap water vs. bottled as well... for some interesting reading about water storage, start here: http://www.bottledwaterblues.com/Water_Storage.cfm

and: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/287840/plastic_water_bottles_may_make_you.html

more in-depth here: http://trusted.md/blog/vreni_gurd/2007/03/29/plastic_water_bottles

some discussion of nalgene here: http://www.sustainlane.com/reviews/bottles/4YJX4FIXUT1B3NZTOU2TUUY9IVYD

[OakLeaf]

indigo, what do you know about this new bPA-free polycarbonate? Is it safe?

[Dianyla]

indigo, what do you know about this new bPA-free polycarbonate? Is it safe?
I've picked up a few of the bisphenol-a free bottles and I like them a lot. They are also taste-free, which is a big plus.

Especially if you, um, accidentally forget about them and mold grows in them. Once they've been cleaned out they really truly smell/taste clean again. This is in stark contrast to all of the traditional water bottles I've used - once those pick up a mold stink/flavor, it is never gone. Yech.

Back to the OP's question... if you're not actually allergic/sensitive to mold, it probably won't cause you any harm. It's just a little grotty. *shrug*

[Blueberry]

So...what's the verdict? Are Nalgene bottles safe? Or should they go in the trash? I've read some stuff (including the link already posted), but wanted to know what others think....hard to tell if it's all hype.

[Meg McKilty]

it COULD hurt you, use bleach. But don't worry about what you already drank. there's mold and mold spores EVERYWHERE and you are eating them every day.

Oh, c'mon mimi! Penicillin was meant for the healin'!

[spindizzy]

Just wanted to add this article to the debate.

http://www.balancedlivingmag.com/2005/July%20-%20August%202005/Hazards%20of%20Hydration.htm

I've stopped buying bottled water (kids hate me)...oh well.

[gnat23]

So...what's the verdict? Are Nalgene bottles safe?

It's funny, but I was looking up something for work (on whether polystyrene leaches in sodium hydroxide... hrm), but came across a lot of documentation about Nalgene that I mentally filed for later use.

What I remember is that Nalgene is great for regular use. It doesn't leach anything so long as you don't take it to any extreme, like:
- Freeze it with stuff inside
- Heat/boil it
- Leave stuff in there too long (i.e., several days)

If all you're doing is filling it and drinking out of it, it's fine.

-- gnat!

[Aggie_Ama]

It's funny, but I was looking up something for work (on whether polystyrene leaches in sodium hydroxide... hrm), but came across a lot of documentation about Nalgene that I mentally filed for later use.

What I remember is that Nalgene is great for regular use. It doesn't leach anything so long as you don't take it to any extreme, like:
- Freeze it with stuff inside
- Heat/boil it
- Leave stuff in there too long (i.e., several days)

If all you're doing is filling it and drinking out of it, it's fine.

-- gnat!

Gnat- Are you on the Specialized site? There is a thin, young female with Pink Dreds- you?

[smilingcat]

I've picked up a few of the bisphenol-a free bottles and I like them a lot. They are also taste-free, which is a big plus.

Especially if you, um, accidentally forget about them and mold grows in them. Once they've been cleaned out they really truly smell/taste clean again. This is in stark contrast to all of the traditional water bottles I've used - once those pick up a mold stink/flavor, it is never gone. Yech.

Back to the OP's question... if you're not actually allergic/sensitive to mold, it probably won't cause you any harm. It's just a little grotty. *shrug*

Hi D,

Where can I get such a bottle (bisphenol-a free bottles)? What do I look for them... I think they would use some sort of acronym instead of spelling it out.

And I really do hate that plastic taste and that plastic smell of some of the bottles. For hiking I had UDT water bottles from REI. They didn't have that plastic taste nor smell.

I used to pour boilling hot water and let it set and leach out that smell and taste before I used a new bottle.

smilingcat

[water_drinker]

I always use bleach in mine, and then I squirt it through the lid to clean the mouth piece and everything to.

Beach evaporates so once you let it sit a bit after rinsing it the bleach smell and all will disapate.

Only the water in the bleach evaporates - the sodium hypochlorite remains as a residue salt (try evaporating a small puddle of bleach - you'll see a white residue left behind)...it's this residue that can be harmful when ingested. It's always best to rinse thoroughly after treating with bleach.

[water_drinker]

oxygen bleach may eventually leach out the plasticizer leaving your PE bottle brittle allowing it to break easily. If you use any bleach at all, rinse it with copious amounts of water immediately afterwards.

[Crankin]

Still living.
I bought bottles that can go in the dishwasher...

[ny biker]

Mine go in the dishwasher, too. But that doesn't get rid of the mold. I've found using q-tips on the camelback polars will remove the first layer, making the caps easier to clean.

I keep a toothbrush in the kitchen for cleaning things like water bottle caps. If I'm really having trouble getting them clean I will use zinc dandruff shampoo instead of dish soap, then will rinse the hell out if them. (Somewhere there is a thread about laundry, with a mention of dandruff shampoo having antibacterial, antimicrobial and antifungal qualities.)

[rebeccaC]

Mine go in the dishwasher, too. But that doesn't get rid of the mold. I've found using q-tips on the camelback polars will remove the first layer, making the caps easier to clean.

A friend mentioned Efferdent anti-bacterial denture cleaner tablets working very easily. Fill with hot water and add a tablet, let sit, shake, slowly empty through nozzle and rinse. I usually use the clean bottle (http://www.cleanbottle.com/#!sportsbottles/cfvg) especially if I'm using energy drinks in the bottle....just toss in the dishwasher after my ride.

[marni]

you can also add a drop or two of bleach and fill the water bottle. let it stand a few minutes and then rinse thoroughly. I usually alternate the efferdent and the bleach on a weekly basis or after three rides which ever comes firt.

[OakLeaf]

I use the denture cleaner tablets on my bite valves and bottle caps too, but they don't take off the biofilm. If it were dentures, you'd still have to brush them, and you still have to brush your hydration gear. Camelbak sells long flexible brushes in diameters to clean both flexible and straight drink tubes, and that's probably the cleaning appliance that gets used more than any other in my household. Then any bottle brush with a hemispherical arrangement of the bristles.

Today I filled my stainless bottle with a 10% bleach solution and let it soak for half an hour or so ... probably overkill, but I've seen what grows in there one too many times. :eek:

[smilingcat]

If the mold and other nasty stuff turns into a biofilm, the only thing that seems to get rid of it is with scrubbing.

I use concentrated hydrogen peroxide. It's bit dangerous. I've accidently splashed few drops on my finger once and it instantly turned my skin white (chemical burn), rinsed it off immediately but after few minutes, I felt a burning sensation (more chemical burn under my skin). But it does kill every germ and mold it comes in contact. And you know when it is working because it will be fizzing as the peroxide breaksdown into water and atomic oxygen (free radical of sorts). The good thing is that it will easily rinse out and doesn't leave any residue behind. And you don't get the chlorine smell. :) And if you drink a weak concentration of peroxide, only thing it will make you do is to throw up. So no real accidental poisoning there.

yes my nephew learned his lesson the very hard way with yucky stuff in his water bottle. He has learned to disinfect his bottles. Decided that praying to the big ceramic bowl in the bathroom is not a good thing. I think he was hugging it for about a week.

[rebeccaC]

If the mold and other nasty stuff turns into a biofilm, the only thing that seems to get rid of it is with scrubbing.

I thought a subtilisin enzyme in an alkaline peroxide effervescent tablet like efferent made for an effective way of dealing with biofilm.

[OakLeaf]

Probably depends on how thick the film is ... :rolleyes:

[Crankin]

I have that Camelbak brush, but I got sick of trying to use it to remove the crap from my Camelbacks. I rarely use them. I have used the brush forwater bottle tops, before they go into the dishwasher.
I use denture tabs for my Invisalign retainer. Even with brushing after soaking, there is always a gross film of stuff on them. It's not mold, so I have given up.

[OakLeaf]

I have that Camelbak brush, but I got sick of trying to use it to remove the crap from my Camelbacks. I rarely use them.

The one I use all the time is the long flexible brush (http://shop.camelbak.com/cleaning-brush-kit/d/1118_c_326_cl_888), not the toilet-bowl-brush shaped one. The long one is the only way to get inside drink tubes, and if you'd seen what comes off on the end of mine ... :eek: Some people use a vinegar and baking soda mix in the bladder to force water at high pressure through the drink tube, but I doubt that's enough.

For me, the easiest way to clean a flexible bladder is with a damp rag sprinkled with a generous dose of baking soda. The ratio of baking soda to water has to be high enough that a good amount of soda stays undissolved to act as a mild abrasive, but low enough that the soda will coat the rag and the inside of the bladder. Close the bladder, shake vigorously until you can see "scratch marks" showing that the rag has scrubbed everywhere inside the bladder, remove rag and rinse.

[lauraelmore1033]

This is partly why I like the bottles with the black tops. So far, what I can't see hasn't hurt me. That's what my nice strong immune system is for...:D:rolleyes:

[OakLeaf]

That approach worked fine for me up until the day I got a big wad of slime with my gulp of water. :eek::eek: Ever since then I figure it's better to find it with my vision than with one of my other senses.

[salsabike]

That approach worked fine for me up until the day I got a big wad of slime with my gulp of water. :eek::eek: Ever since then I figure it's better to find it with my vision than with one of my other senses.

Oak, you made me laugh. Eeewwww.

[pll]

I thought of this thread a couple of days ago, when I replaced the caps of several bottles -- at some point I liked the Specialized 'watergate' type bottles, but I have since become tired of them. To my surprise, Specialized sells the caps alone, $2 per cap! I got 4 of them. Even better, I replaced black caps with some colors.