All our drinking water comes from sources, such as rivers and lakes, or from sources we can’t see, such as underground aquifers after its cleaned or processed water needs to be transported by pipes or held in plastic bottles or special containers that can keep it cold and available but if the container is not clean it doesn’t matter how many times it been filtered. How Often Should You Wash Your Water Bottle?
Reusable water bottles, containers & knapsack bladders should be cleaned daily by using:
- Soapy warm water
- Vinegar & water let sit overnight
- A denture or effervescent tablet & cool water
- A mixture of 1 cup of Backing Soda & 1 cup of water
- Fill the container with water-add a teaspoon of bleach
Even though they might be more expensive try and opt for stainless steel, Polyethylene, metal, or glass instead of plastic since it’s more difficult for bacteria to grow on smoother surfaces.
How to Clean Plastic Water Bottles
Most experts say that for your water bottle to be safe and healthy water bottle should be cleaned every day. It could be as easy as adding it to the dishwasher at the end of the day but water bottles are shaped differently, and are bulkier than normal dishware.
Cleaning it in the dishwasher might not be the best way to go. Here are a few different ways that you can keep your water bottle clean and sanitized so that hydrating can be a healthier experience with no hidden surprises.
Moist environments like water containers can be breeding grounds for bacteria. Based on an analysis from the environmental testing firm EmLab P&K, the average reusable water bottle has over 300,000 CFUs of bacteria colony-forming units when tested. That equates to roughly six times the amount of bacteria found in pet bowls. Daily cleaning can prevent this.
Use a bowl of warm water and soap to rinse both the inside and outside of your water bottle, making sure you brush within all the nooks and crevices around the drinking nozzle, then leave it to air dry. For some better ways try these.
The only way to maintain any plastic, steel water bottle or bladder, or reservoir bag that fits in a Hydration knapsack is to rinse it out after each use and let it air dry completely. Most odor and taste problems occur when bottles are stored in wet areas or kept sealed for long periods of time with liquid inside. Polyethylene bottles can also develop unpleasant tastes/odors when they’re used to store a variety of acidic juices.
How Do You Clean a Plastic Water Bottle With Vinegar
- Fill the water bottle or container halfway with equal parts vinegar and water.
- Place the cap back on and give it a few good shakes before letting it sit with the solution overnight.
- The next day, be sure to thoroughly rinse out both the bottle and the lid with warm water to remove any leftover vinegar.
- Let them dry
This is a particularly good way to clean stainless steel and aluminum water sports bottles.
Clean Water Bottle With Denture Tablets
Watch this video for cleaning your water bottle with Denture Tablets
- Fill half your H2O bottle or container with cold water and drop in an effervescent tablet, which can disinfect and remove any residual odors or tastes.
- After five minutes, screw the top onto the bottle and shake it so that the entire bottle is coated
- Wait five minutes and shake again before emptying the bottle and rinsing it with hot water
How to Clean Plastic Water bottles With Baking Soda
- Combine 1 cup of baking soda with 1 cup of hot water to make your own cleaning solution
- After you have given the mixture a stir to dissolve the ingredients, pour it into the water container
- Let your solution sit in the bottle overnight
- The following day, wash the liquid out and thoroughly clean the bottle
Cleaning Water Bottle With Bleach
- Use a teaspoon of bleach and fill your water container with water
- Let the bottle sit overnight
- Rinse out the bottle completely the next day or run it through the dishwasher
- Let the bottle air dry completely.
How Long to Boil Water to Purify
For the best information on H2O subjects like this one stay right here at MyWaterEarth&Sky- your local health officials issue a boil water advisory, you should use bottled water or boil tap water. This is because a boil water advisory means your community’s water ………… Continue reading
JimGalloway Author/Editor
References: EPA-Bottled Water Facts Sheet
