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 . 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

[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.

[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