How often do you clean your water-bottle?

Veronese68 wrote:

I give mine a swill after each use. I usually only have water in it.
Interesting reading about the Camelbacks, I don't have one yet. I'm getting one for a couple of all day rides planned for this year so I shall pay attention to cleaning it and only use it with water.

For long trips you might well need to use electrolyte powders as you'll be losing salts and then the cramps will start. If you are good with your food intake then powder can be unnecessary. If you do go down the route of putting powders of whatever into your camelbak then make sure you really clean it that night. Diluted bleach is effective (same as purification tabs anyway)

I only use one if I'm riding for more than an hour. It then goes in the dishwasher

Rolf F wrote:

Il Principe wrote:

TheStone wrote:

Does putting them in the freezer kill bacteria?
For me, dishwasher after every use, plus milton every now and then.

I don't think it does, just puts the bacteria into a hibernation mode.

Freezing kills some bacteria but not all - but freezing is still good enough for me. I've never done anything with my Camelbak other than sling it in the freezer and the bottles have never done me any harm. Do clean the outside though to get rid of road dirt.

Besides - I've never owned a dishwasher and probably never will!

Freezing is not even a vaguely reliable method of sterilising something. I have always wondered how you could effectively sterilise a Camelbak bladder - obviously you can't use a dishwasher, and boiling water would be difficult and probably damage the membrane. Milton or similar is probably the best. Being as the contents will be close to body temperature (unlike a bottle) there is an increased risk of getting sufficient bacteria to make you ill. Even with regular cleaning the bladders should probably be replaced periodically.

Bottle in dishwasher after every use for me. I've used Milton for other things and it does nasty things to my skin.

notsoblue wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

Freezing is not even a vaguely reliable method of sterilising something.

It works for smelly shoes.

Ah well in that case...

... remind me never to eat at your house.

to be honest i'm more worried about clenbuterol!

how many commuters have been poisoned by their own bidon?

I can't believe what a load of pansies some of you lot are! If its only water in the bottle, then just a rinse out and a cycle though the dishwasher every few weeks is plenty!

rjsterry wrote:

rickyrider wrote:

I can't believe what a load of pansies some of you lot are! If its only water in the bottle, then just a rinse out and a cycle though the dishwasher every few weeks is plenty!

<shrugs> Please yourself. I value my guts.

Well I haven't had a stomach upset for about 15 years. In my experience its the antiseptic crowd who are of far weaker constitution

Every time after a ride it goes in with the rest of the washing up. Then Milton fluid soak every couple of months.

My bidon gets washed when I remember to wash it. Probably not as often as I should, as it is usually minging from all the filth thrown up from the road/passing trucks.

Would you eat your dinner off an already used and dirty plate? Or use a visible dirty glass without washing it first?

I wash my water-bottle ("bidon" ain't a word to me) after every use. Yes that means if I've finished it by the time I arrive at work I'll wash it out there and refill it for the journey home.

Putting it in the freezer only pushes bacteria into hibernation. Heat is the only sure thing that kills germs/bacteria (arguably more effective than bleach/antibacterial stuff). This is why boiling smelly gloves is more effective at killing smell inducing bacteria than putting them in the fridge/freezer.

Rolf F wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

Putting it in the freezer only pushes bacteria into hibernation. Heat is the only sure thing that kills germs/bacteria (arguably more effective than bleach/antibacterial stuff).

Nope, not quite - kills a lot but a lot do hibernate. But who cares? Probably the younger folk who are terrified of a non antispetic world. If it looks ok and tastes ok then I'm happy it is ok........

Yeah, in the good old days, we used to drink out of the nearest ditch - saved carrying it with you.

John Snow must be turning in his grave.