Time to bin the water bottle

salsajake

My colleague commented how disgusting my bottle was when I asked for it to be filled up during a drinks round. I commented it was only road grime but on closer inspection, it had browny stuff growing on the base and pink stuff spreading in numerous spots around the neck and flange (great word). I gave it a bit of a scrub but was then alarmed at the amount of stuff coming out on the brush so it is now binned and I face a thirsty ride home. Would such skankiness be avoided from simply rinsing or would I have to use a brush every night? All it ever has in there is maltodextrin, salt and water.

jonginge

I don't have a bottle on the commute (only 40mins each way) but, yeah, that combination of contents is ripe for a fungus infestation. Rinsing won't be enough as the powder turns to a sticky goo: brush is the way forward.

Agent57

Some steriliser tablets as used for baby bottles could be pressed into service now and again.

Rich158

salsajake wrote:

My colleague commented how disgusting my bottle was when I asked for it to be filled up during a drinks round. I commented it was only road grime but on closer inspection, it had browny stuff growing on the base and pink stuff spreading in numerous spots around the neck and flange (great word). I gave it a bit of a scrub but was then alarmed at the amount of stuff coming out on the brush so it is now binned and I face a thirsty ride home. Would such skankiness be avoided from simply rinsing or would I have to use a brush every night? All it ever has in there is maltodextrin, salt and water.

Anything with sugers will breed cultuers all over the place. A good wash and brush everynight is needed. Having been on the receiving end of a dodgy hydration pack bladder one holiday I can verify the after effects aren't pleasent.

Headhuunter

I regularly scrub my water bottles down, inside and out and occasionally rinse out with disinfectant and always store them open. Otherwise they start to stink and mould grows in them.

Gazzaputt

Camelbak Podiums can go in the dishwasher

rhext

Rinse properly and dry really properly. An occasional soak in milton or some such mild steriliser wouldn't go amiss.

graeme_s-2

After a ride rinse them, and then fling 'em in the freezer until you next use them. Stops any sort of growth in its tracks!

shoulder_of_orion

Gazzaputt wrote:

Camelbak Podiums can go in the dishwasher

Are they the only kind that can? What about regular bottles will they just go all floppy?

cee

I don't need a drink on my short commute, but i have a couple of camelbak bladders for fun in the evenings and weekends riding trails.

I usually just empty, rinse and freeze, but every couple of weeks, I fill them, plop a denture cleaning tablet in, close them nice and tight, give them a good shake (making sure to get some of the denturey liquid in the hose), then leave them to soak overnight, before giving them a thorough rinse and then slinging them back in the freezer.

Seems to work.

Finbar Saunders

My Specialized Big Mouths go in the dishwasher regularly, on the lower level. Actually I think at some point all my bottles have been in a dishwasher with no problems. If you have something thicker, like a protein drink, in the bottle then a brush and handwash is the best way to go.

lost_in_thought

My water bottles all go in the dishwasher regularly, on the 'blindingly hot' setting that they use at work...

Yes, they come out a bit flaccid, but once they've cooled they're fine - good as new!

In fact, there are two in my bag that need a wash. Thanks for the reminder. It seems to kill anything and everything, and with all the small pokey parts it's hard to clean them really well by hand.

laughingboy

salsajake wrote:

All it ever has in there is maltodextrin, salt and water.

If that was the contents of my water bottle, I'd be tempted to add some brewers yeast and leave it for a week. Mmmm beer!

snig

if plastic bottles I would not be scrubing them as you'r only making more places for the germs to hide,I use milton (15mins)wash but only drink water on the bike.

fossyant

Dishwasher.

Commute I only use water.

moonio

salsajake wrote:

My colleague commented how disgusting my bottle was when I asked for it to be filled up during a drinks round. I commented it was only road grime but on closer inspection, it had browny stuff growing on the base and pink stuff spreading in numerous spots around the neck and flange (great word). I gave it a bit of a scrub but was then alarmed at the amount of stuff coming out on the brush so it is now binned and I face a thirsty ride home. Would such skankiness be avoided from simply rinsing or would I have to use a brush every night? All it ever has in there is maltodextrin, salt and water.

That was by far the most disgusting thing I have read here, it even beats the Perineum thread :shock:

linsen

lost_in_thought wrote:

My water bottles all go in the dishwasher regularly, on the 'blindingly hot' setting that they use at work...

Yes, they come out a bit flaccid, but once they've cooled they're fine - good as new!

In fact, there are two in my bag that need a wash. Thanks for the reminder. It seems to kill anything and everything, and with all the small pokey parts it's hard to clean them really well by hand.

Flaccid. Great word, vastly underused

Gilbie

Graeme_S wrote:

After a ride rinse them, and then fling 'em in the freezer until you next use them. Stops any sort of growth in its tracks!

+1

Aidy

I generally only have water in them, never clean them.

If I've had energy gunk in them, they get washed properly afterwards; obviously part of the nature of energy stuff is that it's good for stuff to grow in, I figure anything growing in it probably isn't that great for me.

roger_merriman

Shoulder of Lamb wrote:

Gazzaputt wrote:

Camelbak Podiums can go in the dishwasher

Are they the only kind that can? What about regular bottles will they just go all floppy?

all mine seem fine with dishwashing, all nothing special.

lost_in_thought

linsen wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

My water bottles all go in the dishwasher regularly, on the 'blindingly hot' setting that they use at work...

Yes, they come out a bit flaccid, but once they've cooled they're fine - good as new!

In fact, there are two in my bag that need a wash. Thanks for the reminder. It seems to kill anything and everything, and with all the small pokey parts it's hard to clean them really well by hand.

Flaccid. Great word, vastly underused

I hereby challenge you to use the word 'flaccid' in at least 3 official missives, be they letters, emails, or reports, or simply written comments this year.

ddraver

They can take alot of abuse can water bottles - I was out on a training ride and dropped one and some car drove over it!

Went back to get it and it was fine - still going strong now.....!!!

Wallace1492

Usually buy new bottle each year, as usually get manky by being left full of "stuff" on a number of occassions. Also are used as wine glass, coffee cup, beer mug when camping.

Finbar Saunders

snig wrote:

if plastic bottles I would not be scrubing them as you'r only making more places for the germs to hide,.

What do you use to scrub your bottles? A bottle brush as used for babies bottles shouldn't abrade the surface. I was given a CamelBak cleaning kit a few years ago....has a brush to do the bladder that I also use on my bottles when needed.

And to be honest, a few germs in your bottle are very unlikely to harm anyone unless they are coliform (don't stick your finger in your butt and then into your bottle) or you have a compromised immune system. Yes, they are yucky and icky but you will find them on your toothbrush, on plates and glasses and numerous other things that you might put in your mouth!

biondino

Finbar Saunders wrote:

snig wrote:

if plastic bottles I would not be scrubing them as you'r only making more places for the germs to hide,.

What do you use to scrub your bottles? A bottle brush as used for babies bottles shouldn't abrade the surface. I was given a CamelBak cleaning kit a few years ago....has a brush to do the bladder that I also use on my bottles when needed.

And to be honest, a few germs in your bottle are very unlikely to harm anyone unless they are coliform (don't stick your finger in your butt and then into your bottle) or you have a compromised immune system. Yes, they are yucky and icky but you will find them on your toothbrush, on plates and glasses and numerous other things that you might put in your mouth!

In the book French Revolutions by Tim Moore - heartily recommended by several people on here - our protagonist managed to give himself a persistent tummy bug through not washing his bottle. Not what you want when riding the TdF course.

Finbar Saunders

biondino wrote:

Finbar Saunders wrote:

snig wrote:

if plastic bottles I would not be scrubing them as you'r only making more places for the germs to hide,.

What do you use to scrub your bottles? A bottle brush as used for babies bottles shouldn't abrade the surface. I was given a CamelBak cleaning kit a few years ago....has a brush to do the bladder that I also use on my bottles when needed.

And to be honest, a few germs in your bottle are very unlikely to harm anyone unless they are coliform (don't stick your finger in your butt and then into your bottle) or you have a compromised immune system. Yes, they are yucky and icky but you will find them on your toothbrush, on plates and glasses and numerous other things that you might put in your mouth!

In the book French Revolutions by Tim Moore - heartily recommended by several people on here - our protagonist managed to give himself a persistent tummy bug through not washing his bottle. Not what you want when riding the TdF course.

That's probably because he always used clean bottles previously and did not develop his natural immunity to those bugs!! Don't change/replace anything before an important ride or race! I would guess that if he had been a little more careless with his bottle hygiene in the weeks or months or years before he would have been fine. I'm not against cleanliness and good hygiene, but I think sometimes we go to extremes to the detriment of our body's own defenses and we ultimately end up with allergies and infections at higher frequencies.

Now...where is that sandwich I dropped on the floor 5 minutes ago?

attica

lost_in_thought wrote:

linsen wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

My water bottles all go in the dishwasher regularly, on the 'blindingly hot' setting that they use at work...

Yes, they come out a bit flaccid, but once they've cooled they're fine - good as new!

In fact, there are two in my bag that need a wash. Thanks for the reminder. It seems to kill anything and everything, and with all the small pokey parts it's hard to clean them really well by hand.

Flaccid. Great word, vastly underused

I hereby challenge you to use the word 'flaccid' in at least 3 official missives, be they letters, emails, or reports, or simply written comments this year.

I find the fact that women LIKE the word flaccid actually a bit depressing!

I tend to soak my water bottles in Milton every once in a while, regularly putting them through the washing up in between.

I did leave a water bottle full of SIS Go in my car from Sunday til last night as I hadn't needed it, used it last night and it did taste err, slightly fermented? Didn't stop me finishing it off though.

Bhima

Occasionally fill them with boiling water and leave for a few minutes. No silly tablets needed, the boiling water should kill all bacteria.

The trick is to have different bottles for different things - water/energy drinks/milkshakes/etc. Easier to keep on top of things that way.

il_principe

I just throw em away after every ride.

biondino

Does anyone else find that the fabric conditioner bit of their washing machine tray gets covered with mould? Why on earth would it?

NGale

lost_in_thought wrote:

My water bottles all go in the dishwasher regularly, on the 'blindingly hot' setting that they use at work...

Yes, they come out a bit flaccid, but once they've cooled they're fine - good as new!

In fact, there are two in my bag that need a wash. Thanks for the reminder. It seems to kill anything and everything, and with all the small pokey parts it's hard to clean them really well by hand.

Flaccid...great word.under used and yet so common :roll:

thankfully at the end of the month I will be getting a camelbak bladder for my North Face rucksack which carries my work gear so my water situation will be sorted.

I do have a water bottle. but like many others is is getting a bit grimy. Having said that it is five years old so has stayed in service well. The secret for me...Milton Sterilising Fluid.