Washing water bottles

[IamJen]

Maybe this should be in the health section?

Wondering how often everyone washes their reusable water bottles. I rinse ours every day (sometimes I forget mine, but Freya's gets it every morning). I don't use soap and water so very often though..maybe like once a week (eek), or if she happens to have juicy water (which is rare). We have a couple of Kleen Kanteen steel ones and some bpa-free plastic ones.

They always seem clean and fine and mold-free etc. but wondering if I'm being too lax.

 

[PTree15]

I rinse mine out every day that I use it. After a week or so of uses, I might wash it out with soap and water.

 

[CrazyCatLady]

Usually never lol.
I tend to lose it or leave it somewhere and have to get a new one every few months. During the time I have it I wash it only if the mouth bit starts to smell *yak* lol xxx

 

[mlp]

I wash them daily when they're in use.

 

[RabbitLuvr]

I have a 0.6L Sigg bottle I use for water at work. I took it in maybe four months ago, and have not washed it since then, haha.
It's strictly water only.

 

[kibbleforlola]

My sigg water bottles are water only, and they hardly ever get washed. Mostly because they live in my backpack. I give them a rise when I fill them up just by swishing around a little water in them, though. We have plastic ones that fit our water filtration system, and those get thrown in the dishwasher pretty regularly.

 

[Pirate]

does everyone else get on OK with reusable water bottles? Ive never been able to get on with them : ( Ive tried plastic ones, metal sigg ones, etc and they all end up tasting and smelling gross even if I wash them. I just buy one bottle of mineral water a week, reuse the bottle, and then recycle it and buy a new one. Bad environment lover I know but I just cant get on with the reusable ones : (

 

[CrazyCatLady]

I also just reuse a mineral water bottle. I don't like the others for all different reasons. I tend to steal them from other people when they go to put them in the bin so I don't feel so bad then xxx

 

[mlp]

The fact that it's used just for water isn't the most relevant part of the equation, IMO. It's the fact that the human mouth is a bacteria factory, and unless you're squirting the water into your mouth, there's going to be some backwash going back into the bottle.

I'ved become more aware of this since living with parrots - human saliva can be dealy for them.

 

[shyvas]

I only buy fizzy water from time to time, so don't use plastic bottles. I have a few stainless steel bottles and mugs that I fill with tap water or herbal tea.

 

[SummerRain]

When I read this I thought it was about hot water bottles... I started reading and I thought "woah, I've never washed mine, I must be disgusting!".

I sometimes just rinse mine out if I'm not at home, usually I wash them in hot soapy water with everything else, sometimes I just wipe the top with a soapy sponge and then rinse them. I don't use them very often though, so I think that makes me more inclined to wash them.

I've certainly just rinsed them out in the past when I was at school, never did me any harm .

 

[Moll Flanders]

I rinse mine out with hot water after use but I don't use it that much anymore so it's just sitting in the fridge.

When I read this I thought it was about hot water bottles... I started reading and I thought "woah, I've never washed mine, I must be disgusting!".

 

[Blobbenstein]

I use old Robinsons bottles for water(1.5litres) that I take on my walks. I don't wash them daily, but sometimes the water starts to taste like stream/river water, which I quite like in a way. But when I have had enough of that, I use a bit of bleach; swish it around, and then rinse. That seems to sort out the taste.

 

[mary1]

I rinse mine out every time I refill it but I only wash it when it starts to smell. Gross I know. haha

 

[Spidergrrl]

I rinse my Sigg every day and wash properly once a week with a bottle brush. i notice it gets "grime" around the rim so i use a squeezed out lemon rind half and twist it around the mouth and then scrub the threads up by the rim with a toothbrush. I do the grime thing once a week or when i notice it. I omnly every put wate rin mo=ine--or water with lemon juice if i have a sore throat so i don't feel too worried about it.

 

[mary1]

I had a Sigg once. The inside got all weird after I put OJ in it one time. It wasn't until after I heard that citrus messes with the lining in the bottle.