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  1. #16
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Posts
    15

    a little bleach seems to work

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    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.

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Brisbane, QLD, Australia
    Posts
    529
    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.
    1. Put it in the diswasher
    2. Soaked it overnight
    3. Put it in the dishwasher again
    4. scrubbed it with a scourer and a chopstick
    5. Put it in the dishwasher again
    6. Put it in the sun
    7. 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!
    @LIGHTSABE*R(::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

    Beginner Triathlete Log

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    719

    denture cleaner

    i'm a denture cleaner kind of bottle cleaning gal. i read it in a Bicycling mag before. works like a charm!
    "The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it."-Moliere

    "Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." -Thomas A. Edison



    Shorty's Adventure - Blog

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Albuquerque, NM
    Posts
    3,099
    ROFLMAO - oh...........are we supposed to wash them?? 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
    Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, champagne in one hand, strawberries in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming: "Yeah Baby! What a Ride!"

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Off eating cake.
    Posts
    1,700
    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.

    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!
    Drink coffee and do stupid things faster with more energy.

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Posts
    112
    Quote Originally Posted by 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.

    +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.

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Posts
    39
    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.

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Melbourne, Australia
    Posts
    14

    weak cold tea

    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

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    The Netherlands
    Posts
    206
    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.

  10. #25
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    I'm the only one allowed to whine
    Posts
    10,557
    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
    "If Americans want to live the American Dream, they should go to Denmark." - Richard Wilkinson

  11. #26
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Houston, TX
    Posts
    182

    Icky Bottle

    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.

  12. #27
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Bathurst, Australia
    Posts
    90
    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.

  13. #28
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Pacific Northwest
    Posts
    3,436
    Quote Originally Posted by KnottedYet View Post
    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?
    "My predominant feeling is one of gratitude. I have loved and been loved;I have been given much and I have given something in return...Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege and an adventure." O. Sacks

  14. #29
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    stratford upon avon,england
    Posts
    223
    Quote Originally Posted by Keely View Post
    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.
    who is driving your bus?

  15. #30
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Vernon, British Columbia
    Posts
    2,226
    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~
    The butterflies are within you.

    My photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/picsiechick/

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