Author Topic: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?  (Read 9723 times)

GuitarStv

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How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« on: August 06, 2015, 05:23:25 PM »
I really like my camelback big chill waterbottle.  There's no plastic taste, it doesn't leak, it keeps your stuff reasonably cold on a long ride:



It's usually rinsed out with soapy water every week, boiled maybe every couple weeks.  Despite this, there was a fair build up of mold growing under the clear plastic nozzle bit.  Discovered today (three years after purchasing it) that the clear plastic bit can be removed for cleaning . . .

:P

Looking forward to less earthy flavoured water on my next ride!  I was actually debating throwing out the old bottle and just buying a new one.  How often do you scrub 'em down?
« Last Edit: August 06, 2015, 06:10:19 PM by GuitarStv »

johnny847

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #1 on: August 06, 2015, 07:13:47 PM »
I accidentally let some Gatorade sit in one of my bottles for a week after a ride. It now has some black fungus or the like at the bottom of it. I can't really get in there and scratch it off or anything. I want to be able to clean it but I may end up throwing it out.

Otherwise, I just just give my bottles a water + dish soap rinse every couple days, NBD. By rinse I mean I fill it with half soap and water, close it, and just give it a good shake.

2ndTimer

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #2 on: August 06, 2015, 07:19:37 PM »
You can do that ???

forummm

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #3 on: August 06, 2015, 07:41:43 PM »
If you just use water in it, you probably don't need to wash it too often. If you use something else (like Gatorade that has sugar in it) you'll want to wash it somewhat regularly.

I go months without washing my water glass at home. Tap water doesn't really support stuff growing.

nereo

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #4 on: August 06, 2015, 07:44:57 PM »
I'm supposed to wash my water bottle?  huh.
I just dump the water out when I'm done and let it air-dry...  Maybe I'll die from a horrible, waterborne disease.  ::shrug::
« Last Edit: August 06, 2015, 08:12:46 PM by nereo »

MgoSam

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #5 on: August 06, 2015, 08:11:18 PM »
I'm supposed to wash my water bottle?  huh.
I just dump the water out when I'm done and let it air-drn..  Maybe I'll die from a horrible, waterborne disease.  ::shrug::

I'm the same way, except I usually just keep it filled with a little bit of water. Can't recall ever tossing it in the dishwasher or putting soap in it.

o2bfree

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #6 on: August 06, 2015, 08:40:47 PM »
Never. Dump and air-dry here.

So now I gotta find a flashlight and look inside to see if there's any of that pink slime like what grows in showers and coffee makers...

forummm

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #7 on: August 07, 2015, 08:33:29 AM »
Never. Dump and air-dry here.

So now I gotta find a flashlight and look inside to see if there's any of that pink slime like what grows in showers and coffee makers...

Pink slime in showers is probably from the soap scum. Some molds eat soap.

DeepEllumStache

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #8 on: August 07, 2015, 08:46:08 AM »
At one point, I kept feeling sick about 9 miles into my long runs. Found mold under the running water bottle caps. This happened again a year or so later.

Once or twice a year, I soak the caps in bleach and the wash them thoroughly.

I'm a red panda

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #9 on: August 07, 2015, 08:50:55 AM »
I accidentally let some Gatorade sit in one of my bottles for a week after a ride. It now has some black fungus or the like at the bottom of it. I can't really get in there and scratch it off or anything. I want to be able to clean it but I may end up throwing it out.


Put some diluted bleach in there and let it eat it away. Then scrub the best you can.


We wash our water bottles once a week. 

GuitarStv

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #10 on: August 07, 2015, 08:54:31 AM »
Tap water doesn't really support stuff growing.

While I agree with this in theory, there was totally stuff growing in my bottles.  I suspect that a certain amount of saliva gets stuck around the mouthpiece and washes back into your bottle . . . couple that with pretty much 100% humidity for several hours a day while the bottle is in use, and it'll grow stuff it appears.

acroy

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #11 on: August 07, 2015, 08:56:27 AM »
Rinse & air dry every now and then
I drink tap water + a little 'lite salt' for the electrolytes - tap water has chlorine, a good growth inhibitor :)

o2bfree

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #12 on: August 07, 2015, 09:14:17 AM »
Never. Dump and air-dry here.

So now I gotta find a flashlight and look inside to see if there's any of that pink slime like what grows in showers and coffee makers...

Pink slime in showers is probably from the soap scum. Some molds eat soap.

I've noticed pinkish mold growing in my coffee maker, too. But the water bottle doesn't have it.

BlueMR2

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #13 on: August 07, 2015, 06:43:55 PM »
Wash after every ride that I use it.  That's pretty rare though.  I generally don't find liquids necessary for rides under an hour (exceptions for extreme heat of course).  After that first hour, it's 1 bottle per hour.

EricL

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #14 on: August 07, 2015, 07:03:20 PM »
How did this make it to the Antimustachian Wall of Shame and Comedy?  Nobody posting throws their water bottle away after one use or purchased an SUV because the gold plated self cleaning one is too heavy for the bike.

But just to throw in, rinsing regularly will keep the bottle from getting nasty. If it does filling it with water, adding a couple drops of bleach, shaking it and letting it sit overnight works.  Unless bleach chemically reacts poorly with the gold plating.

stlbrah

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #15 on: August 08, 2015, 08:27:04 AM »
I find that bike bottles retain smells really bad with anything other than plain water.

I made a protein shake in both of mine a while back and now they smell rancid. I can't get the smell out. I thought about making a thread for suggestions, but I am thinking I might have to chuck them at this point.

Alchemilla

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #16 on: August 08, 2015, 08:51:23 AM »
We use sterilising tablets on them and/or dishwash.

Reminds me of my university tutor who made coffee from water stored in an algae filled 2 litre squash bottle. He called it his nitrate removal system.

GuitarStv

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #17 on: August 09, 2015, 06:25:45 AM »
I find that bike bottles retain smells really bad with anything other than plain water.

I made a protein shake in both of mine a while back and now they smell rancid. I can't get the smell out. I thought about making a thread for suggestions, but I am thinking I might have to chuck them at this point.
r

I'd try filling them with bleach and water and letting them sit overnight.  Protein powder when it sits for too long attracts the worst smelling bacteria, which is probably what's causing that taste.

nereo

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #18 on: August 09, 2015, 07:56:22 AM »
We use sterilising tablets on them and/or dishwash.

Reminds me of my university tutor who made coffee from water stored in an algae filled 2 litre squash bottle. He called it his nitrate removal system.

Bleh!!!  Far worse than our university professor who took great pride in never having washed his coffee mug - actually got really, really angry at a well-meaning technician who scrubbed it clean one day while cleaning up the lab space.  Caused a minor upheaval in the department ("how can you think it's ok to yell at someone for trying to do something nice for you?")

We use our fish-water for watering our plants... we call it our 'integrated multi-trophic aquaculture" system :-)

stlbrah

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #19 on: August 09, 2015, 11:31:18 AM »
I find that bike bottles retain smells really bad with anything other than plain water.

I made a protein shake in both of mine a while back and now they smell rancid. I can't get the smell out. I thought about making a thread for suggestions, but I am thinking I might have to chuck them at this point.
r

I'd try filling them with bleach and water and letting them sit overnight.  Protein powder when it sits for too long attracts the worst smelling bacteria, which is probably what's causing that taste.

thanks man ill try that

PMG

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #20 on: August 09, 2015, 11:45:19 AM »
I find that bike bottles retain smells really bad with anything other than plain water.

I made a protein shake in both of mine a while back and now they smell rancid. I can't get the smell out. I thought about making a thread for suggestions, but I am thinking I might have to chuck them at this point.

I would fill it with water and generous scoop of baking soda.  Let it sit for a day. Shake it once in a while to redistribute the soda.  Won't kill bacteria but might help absorb the odors/flavors.

I don't have a bike water bottle. I do carry a stainless bottle daily.
I wash my bottle about a month after I notice it's gross and getting slimey.

Cassie

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #21 on: August 10, 2015, 12:25:53 PM »
A friend of mine got a bad lung infection from not washing her water bottle & the only thing it had in it was water.

TrMama

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #22 on: August 10, 2015, 12:43:40 PM »
I find that bike bottles retain smells really bad with anything other than plain water.

I made a protein shake in both of mine a while back and now they smell rancid. I can't get the smell out. I thought about making a thread for suggestions, but I am thinking I might have to chuck them at this point.

Pour in a couple tablespoons of baking soda. Add some water to make a bit of a slurry and shake. Leave it overnight to suck the stink out. If it's really bad you may need to repeat.

This thread is making my eye twitch. My degree is in microbiology. My bottles go through the dishwasher after every single use. You guys realize bacteria reproduce exponentially, right?

nereo

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #23 on: August 10, 2015, 01:42:43 PM »
A friend of mine got a bad lung infection from not washing her water bottle & the only thing it had in it was water.
I'm always a bit skeptical of such anacdotes - do they know it was from the water bottle?  Did they test the pathogens in the water and match it with the strain found in her lungs?  Or did the doctor just ask if she'd drank from an unwashed bottle and concluded "it must be from that"?

GuitarStv

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #24 on: August 10, 2015, 06:34:28 PM »
How did the lungs get infected?  Is it possible that the friend was attempting to drink with his/her lungs?  :P

Blonde Lawyer

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #25 on: August 10, 2015, 07:28:41 PM »
I find that bike bottles retain smells really bad with anything other than plain water.

I made a protein shake in both of mine a while back and now they smell rancid. I can't get the smell out. I thought about making a thread for suggestions, but I am thinking I might have to chuck them at this point.

Pour in a couple tablespoons of baking soda. Add some water to make a bit of a slurry and shake. Leave it overnight to suck the stink out. If it's really bad you may need to repeat.

This thread is making my eye twitch. My degree is in microbiology. My bottles go through the dishwasher after every single use. You guys realize bacteria reproduce exponentially, right?

My Camelbak ones are double walled insulated and said they shouldn't go in the dishwasher.  Boo.  I think the lids can though.

enigmaT120

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #26 on: August 11, 2015, 05:10:55 PM »
This is why my bike bottles are stainless steel with simple screw-in caps.  I don't mind stopping when I want a drink of water. 

But now I know I need to keep an eye on my Nathan running bottles that I carry if I'm going 10 or more miles running.  Ick.



Lyssa

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #27 on: August 12, 2015, 05:25:17 AM »
If "mold" in water bottles or heaters (including coffee makers) is green-blackish or pinkish chances are that it's actually algae. Not yummy but also not nearly as dangerous as mold.

trombonedadio

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #28 on: August 12, 2015, 02:28:27 PM »
I accidentally let some Gatorade sit in one of my bottles for a week after a ride. It now has some black fungus or the like at the bottom of it. I can't really get in there and scratch it off or anything. I want to be able to clean it but I may end up throwing it out.

Otherwise, I just just give my bottles a water + dish soap rinse every couple days, NBD. By rinse I mean I fill it with half soap and water, close it, and just give it a good shake.


You can buy a bottle brush at the dollar store that will last a long time, and will hopefully reach all the gunge. If not, put a dishcloth or scrubber in the bottle with some water and soap and use a long-handled utensil to wipe it around inside the bottle. Definitely not rocket science.....

nereo

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #29 on: August 12, 2015, 02:41:47 PM »
If "mold" in water bottles or heaters (including coffee makers) is green-blackish or pinkish chances are that it's actually algae. Not yummy but also not nearly as dangerous as mold.
Saying algae isn't nearly as dangerous as mold is not accurate.  Some strains of unicellular algae are responsible for the Domoic Acid buildup in shellfish that lead to paralytic shellfish poisoning (which can be fatal).  Strains of Pfiesteria (another algae) in red tides can cause amnesia, resperatory failure and even death.
Some molds are completely harmless and some are quite helpful.  Molds are used in fermentation and cheese making.  Pennicillium (from which we derive our first real antibiotic) is a mold.

Sure - some molds can be very bad for you.  So can some algae. 

NoraLenderbee

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #30 on: August 12, 2015, 05:50:08 PM »
Empty your bottle after every ride and store it upside down so it drains. If you leave a half-full bottle on your bike, it will get gross a lot faster.
Wash the lids/caps, which have crevices and screw threads where crud can lurk. Also, they pick up chapstick from your lips, crumbs from what you just ate, etc.
If you carry anything other than water in your bottle, wash it and the cap after every ride.
Some people keep their Camelbacks in the refrigerator--the cold retards the growth of mold.

Heather in Ottawa

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #31 on: August 12, 2015, 09:19:45 PM »
I put my half full bottles in the freezer. Advantage of being cold for a little while, plus extends how many rides I'd do between washes. Wash every 3-4 rides, or if I ever forget to freeze.

Cassie

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #32 on: August 12, 2015, 10:06:14 PM »
yes everything was tested & it was a very serious situation.

nereo

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #33 on: August 13, 2015, 05:47:23 AM »
yes everything was tested & it was a very serious situation.
SOrry about your friend, is she all better now?  hope so.

cjottawa

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #34 on: August 27, 2015, 07:36:19 AM »


OxiClean. Put a tablespoon of it in, add hot water, DO NOT SEAL THE LID. (pressure builds)

Leave it for anywhere from half an hour to overnight, agitate, rinse thoroughly. It'll strip out even coffee or tea stains.

ginastarke

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #35 on: August 29, 2015, 06:35:14 PM »
Anyone else have a cup holder on their handlebars? Tumbler cups are a lot easier to clean. Plus, the holder can be used for other things :-)

FunkyStickman

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Re: How often do you wash your bike water bottle?
« Reply #36 on: September 10, 2015, 08:41:08 AM »
Just water in mine, I wash 'em once a week. I scrub the nozzles every other day, though.