Favorite methods for cleaning water bottles?

[salsabike]

Someone recently said--think it was Brandi--that one good way to clean a water bottle is with denture cleaner, which sounded quite smart to me. Anyone have any other favorite methods, especially if mold has shown up? I've used baking soda and vinegar. I've even used a low % bleach solution. Others?

[Grog]

After about six months, which is about when they start growing mold, throw them away. (Recycle them, of course.) Most of them are made out of porous plastic that won't get really clean even if you wash it in the dishwasher.

Otherwise I just use dishsoap and very hot water. (Don't have a dishwasher...)

[DrBee]

I have had success with mine in the dishwasher. Haven't seen any mold yet. How about vinegar and water?

[Trekhawk]

Yikes Mold:eek: :eek: . I cant imagine that is a very nice thing to see in your drink bottle. I have had my bottles since I got my bike about a year ago and I dont have any problems with mold. I make sure that I remove my bottles from my bike as soon as I'm home and wash them out. I leave them on the drainer until they are completely dry and then pop them away until my next ride.

Im with Grog - if you see mold I think its time to get some new bottles.

[Pedal Wench]

Store them in the freezer, or I use a little bit of bleach.

[colby]

After about six months, which is about when they start growing mold, throw them away. (Recycle them, of course.) Most of them are made out of porous plastic that won't get really clean even if you wash it in the dishwasher.

Otherwise I just use dishsoap and very hot water. (Don't have a dishwasher...)

How do you get rid of the soap taste? I had mine sitting with dish soap in them, then rinsed and let them sit overnight with just plain water, and now they taste like dish soap again. My dad suggested lemon or OJ and water, which is going to be my next stop.

I stopped short of vinegar and baking soda, I'm not sure I want them to taste like that either ;)

[Trekhawk]

How do you get rid of the soap taste? I had mine sitting with dish soap in them, then rinsed and let them sit overnight with just plain water, and now they taste like dish soap again. My dad suggested lemon or OJ and water, which is going to be my next stop.

I stopped short of vinegar and baking soda, I'm not sure I want them to taste like that either ;)

Hmm not sure how you would get rid of that taste. I dont let mine stand with dish soap in them. Just wash, rinse, drain to dry and have never had a problem with soap taste. Perhaps its the sitting with dish soap in them thats causing the problem.

[Fredwina]

I think that you've got moldy bottles, the best bet is to throw them away.
I throw the dirty ones in the Dishwasher. I would argee with everyone else that the best thing to do is empty them when you're done. I only energy drink with mine, so I haven't noticed any soapy taste.

[Grog]

I don't think the soap is more efficient by being left in the bottle overnight. It would be maybe for a greasy pan, but not for a water bottle. Plus, I'd say the soap smell is sign that that plastic is rather porous....

Just wash, rinse, let air dry... throw away and get a new one once in a while!

[colby]

Hmm not sure how you would get rid of that taste. I dont let mine stand with dish soap in them. Just wash, rinse, drain to dry and have never had a problem with soap taste. Perhaps its the sitting with dish soap in them thats causing the problem.

and:


I don't think the soap is more efficient by being left in the bottle overnight. It would be maybe for a greasy pan, but not for a water bottle. Plus, I'd say the soap smell is sign that that plastic is rather porous....

Just wash, rinse, let air dry... throw away and get a new one once in a while!

Oh, it wasn't that long. We're talking 5 minutes while we were making lunch, then I squeezed and rinsed the soap out, along with a bunch of water rinses. Then, we put lemon juice in them, and let them sit for a while (maybe 30 minutes), then rinsed them again. The water didn't taste soapy when I drank out of it at first, but after letting *plain* water sit in them all night (in the refrigerator), the water tasted soapy. I would have expected lemony, but clearly the soap just got right into the pores of the plastic and is hanging on for dear life!

I have a mental block with wasting water, I guess I just need to rinse them more, and let them air dry. And, use them ;)

(PS: They are brand new, so it's soap smell or plastic smell... take your pick :))

[annie]

I don't use a dishwasher, either. As long as I remember to rinse the bottles out after each use, they are fine. But forget for just one overnight in hot, humid weather, and ICK!! Black spots that don't rinse out in the morning. I fill the bottle almost to the top with cool water, then top it off with bleach. Invert the top of bottle into the bleach solution, too. Let the bottle sit for at least 15 minutes, and presto! Mold is gone, bottle is sanitized. I rinse it well and have not had a problem with bleach taste remaining in the bottle. I've used the same water bottles for years, usually till I lose them or until the top wears out and leaks.

Lots of great ideas in this thread!

annie

[7rider]

Throw bottles away after 6 months???
Yipes. I have bottles that are 6 YEARS old.
I wash them out as soon as I get back with soap and hot water and air dry them completely. Knock wood, but no problems with mold or mildew. Maybe when my LBS offers me a free waterbottle at an event, next time I should take him up on it! :D
I also picked up a "sponge on a stick" - for lack of a better term - from Bed Bath & Beyond (or maybe it was Linens -n- Things) designed for cleaning down into bottles. Works great for my coffee thermos, too. I got it in the pots and pans section of the store and really gets into the corners.
My camelback bladders I've recently started storing (empty) in the freezer upon the recomendation of some folks, to prevent mildew growth in them.

[chickwhorips]

i have one of those bottle cleaners that i use just with soap and water. i'm afraid of it melting in the dishwasher. though with all of you putting them in the dishwasher i assume you haven't had this problem.

what about nalgene bottles? i like to put juice or crystal lite in mine, but sometimes the taste stays in there of the juice or crystal lite when i put plain water in it. any suggestions for those?

[SouthernBelle]

I figured if my bottle can't survive the dishwasher, to heck with it!

Really, my polar bottles say dishwasher safe, although they also say top rack only. But they are too tall for the top rack so I put them in the bottom and they are fine, as are my regular bottles. Dishwashers get hot, so I figure that should sterilize them pretty well.

[tulip]

I only drink water (no sugary drinks that molds like), and I find that if I rinse them out right away after a ride, and put them in the dishwasher, they are fine.

I think the same would work for water bottles with sugary drinks--just rinse thoroughly as soon as possible, and put them in the dishwasher. If you don't have a dishwasher, getting one of those bottle brushes might work well.

[emjae]

A few drops of bleach, then fill the bottle with water and allow to sit. I think this was mentioned before, but it does work. Be sure to rinse well to get out the bleachy taste. I also like the idea of storing them in the freezer, once they are clean.

Some bottles deserve to be tossed after so many uses, but there are some "special" ones you might like to have around for awhile, so keeping them sanitary is one way to do it.

[light_sabe_r]

i've had my bottle for a month. ^_^ It got thrown in with my bike. I love the fact it's clear so if suff DOES start growing I'll be able to see it.

I wish I could throw out my BF's bottle. >_< He's been trying to clean it for two weeks!

He's done the following.

Put it in the diswasher
Soaked it overnight
Put it in the dishwasher again
scrubbed it with a scourer and a chopstick
Put it in the dishwasher again
Put it in the sun
Put it in the dishwasher again


Still mouldy. He has a sentimental attachement to this one.

In the lab I'd wash is with detergent... then soak the bugga in 70% Ethanol to get all the MOULD off it. Maybe stick it under the UV light and irradiate it!

[han-grrl]

i'm a denture cleaner kind of bottle cleaning gal. i read it in a Bicycling mag before. works like a charm! :D

[CorsairMac]

ROFLMAO - oh...........are we supposed to wash them?? :p The only time mine get washed are when I use any type of sport-drink. I don't use any sweetened drinks but any water I put in the bottle after I use the mixes has the flavour of the mix. I'm looking at my winter commute bike right now and it still has water in the water bottle from the last time I rode it.......in March I think?? Guess there are advantages to living in the dry southwest! lol

[DirtDiva]

You know, I've never had mould grow in any of my CamelBak bladders, and I can be pretty slack about cleaning them (although I do only ever have water in 'em). One of them had a bitevalve that kinda tasted of dirt, but when I looked at it I saw, well, dirt so I stopped worrying about the taste. :p

I remember trying to get some mould out of a bottle once years ago. Detergent, hot water and a brush didn't work, so I bleached the living daylights out of the little sucker. You don't need as much bleach as you might think - had to toss that drink bottle because I couldn't get the chlorine taste out of it! :eek:

[SR500]

I only drink water (no sugary drinks that molds like), and I find that if I rinse them out right away after a ride, and put them in the dishwasher, they are fine.

I think the same would work for water bottles with sugary drinks--just rinse thoroughly as soon as possible, and put them in the dishwasher. If you don't have a dishwasher, getting one of those bottle brushes might work well.


+1, only drink water on the bike, and dishwasher works great. It also has some high heat settings for any nasties that you might find.

I do hand wash the Polar bottles, but usually within a couple hours of riding, and almost always just drink water.

[nafula]

My husband has a tendency to empty bottles and put them in the dark cabinet while they are still wet. Needless to say, they get icky.

Since I've started letting them dry before putting them away, there isn't an ounce of mold, or algae, or anything. Funny how that works.

Also, Rubbermaid makes a brush that is technically made for cleaning sinks. Its a long handled brush that has a bit of an angle at the end. Works great for getting into the edges of the bottle.

[Keely]

I have been told that soaking new bottles in cold weak black tea takes out the plastic flavour... tried it and it worked. It also works to take out the soap taste.

Keely

[Mimosa]

I prefer white or clear bottles so I can see if mold is growing in. And if that happens I just throw them out. Even if I would clean them and not see the mold I would still know it's there somewhere with my water, which I am drinking .... grosssss. I am not risking getting sick for a bottle which only costs 3 dollars at the first bikeshop.

And beside that, in due time the outside gets ugly from those scratches left in the plastic by the bottleholder and then the dirt get in those scratches.

[KnottedYet]

I'll just put in another gratuitous advertisement for my Soma polycarb/polypro/polysomething bottle.

I abuse my bottles horribly, don't wash 'em for days, leave 'em in the sun, let 'em grow unusual colonies of biological oddities unchecked.

None of those cooties have been able to take hold in my Soma bottle. And it has never tasted like plastic.

A quick scrub with dishsoap and a bottle brush, and all my bike-bottle sins are forgiven!

http://www.somafab.com/bottle.html

[Meaux]

My bottles have this funky taste to them, sort of like that "fridge funk" that you get when you don't use baking soda in the fridge. Any way to get rid of that? It's just getting NASTY in there! (The bottle, not the fridge.) DH and I just put them in the dishwasher and I'm wondering if that's the problem. Haven't seen any mold yet, I know my DH has has a bottle that's over 10 years old. :)

[beetle]

Here in Aust you can get a product called Milton at the Chemist or supermarket, it is used for sterilising jars etc for jam and for babies bottles so it would definately kill anything bad in a water bottle - I'm sure it would be in the US too.

Sterilising products don't remove the mould or unsightly particles so I would suggest a bottle brush as other have for that.

Also others mentioned clear bottles - they are also better as they are not dark like other bottle therefore the sunlight stops a lot of nasties growing in them. That's why shower mould only grows in the dark corners and bits that don't recieve direct sunlight.

[salsabike]

I'll just put in another gratuitous advertisement for my Soma polycarb/polypro/polysomething bottle.

I abuse my bottles horribly, don't wash 'em for days, leave 'em in the sun, let 'em grow unusual colonies of biological oddities unchecked.

None of those cooties have been able to take hold in my Soma bottle. And it has never tasted like plastic.

A quick scrub with dishsoap and a bottle brush, and all my bike-bottle sins are forgiven!

http://www.somafab.com/bottle.html

Hey, Knot, is this bottle rigid or flexible?

[hellosunshine]

I have been told that soaking new bottles in cold weak black tea takes out the plastic flavour... tried it and it worked. It also works to take out the soap taste.

Keely

BLIMEY-THEY DO SAY YOU LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY!THATS QUITE GROOVY.:)

[LBTC]

We dishwasher the bottles and it works great. Once in awhile DH will forget a bottle and, yup, if it's nasty, to the recycling it goes.

We did read a great tip on the camelbak bladders that would probably work in the water bottles, too, for getting rid of residual tastes....and disinfecting (sort of). Classic Coke. Soak overnight, rinse well. Can't see why it wouldnt work with a water bottle, too. The main point they made was to be sure that the coke hit all surfaces.

We had previously tried lemonjuice and mouthwash, and prefer the coke solution (not that I'd drink the stuff! haha)

Might be worth a try for that sentimental favourite.

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[hellosunshine]

the scarey thing about coke is they also say it really cleans your toilet too,so god knows what it does to our poor guts.