You aren't the only one. I've done a water bottle purge recently because there were some that just never got clean.

I've soaked them with bleach and used a toothbrush when I have a bottle I'm particularly fond of. Otherwise I've come to consider them disposable at a certain point. I also hate cleaning so maybe that's not the best solution :-)

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Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce

Use a baby bottle brush. They can be found in most dollar stores or grocery stores. They work great. They look like this:

http://www.amazon.com/...-Brush/dp/B0006BAJN6

You don't need the Dr Browns brand. I get mine at the dollar store and run them through the dishwasher. Great for camelbak's too!

Awesome! Thanks.

Maybe I can steal one from my sis who just had a baby and insists on buying all these gadgets :)

We use the same thing (I say we; my husband is amazing about doing the dishes!) - easiest if you pop the spout portion out of the hard plastic of the top so you can scrub it out completely.

Cheers!

-mistress k

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ill advised racing inc.

Bleach or Oxyclean and a second soaking will dissolve and kill just about anything.

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DISH is how we do it.

I do the same thing for my bidons as I do for my wine decanters - a handful of raw rice, a slice of lemon, a bit of water and a bloody good shake. Keep shaking until the gunk is dislodged and your arms have had a good workout.

Otherwise I put them through the dishwasher with the spout opened.

I'm not that keen on bleach near my eating and drinking utensils. Actually I'm not that keen on bleach, period....

1st world problems. :)

to the OP: we normally put bleach in all our water (dishes and soaking food) and all water bottles and tops get left overnight in that water and air dried the next day. But potable drinking water does not exist here.

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http://harvestmoon6.blogspot.com
https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/katasmit

I just run mine through the dishwasher...bottles go on top rack, lids (open) go in the silverware tray. Seems to work great for me. :)

And yes, ladies, I do all the dishes and 95% of the cooking and cleaning in our house. My wife lives a life of leisure. :)

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- John
"Have courage, and be kind."

Did that make me look like a complete tosser? :-) Occupational hazard though...wine decanters get used at my place almost as much as the bidons!

I'm with the shop guy, have not washed a water bottle in the forty years I've been riding, hasn't been a problem yet..
water bottles that had gatorade or similar in them get tossed in the dishwasher, before dishwashers would just soak in soapy water then shake and rinse..
an old toothbrush would probably work fine to scrub out those hard-to-reach areas though.

I remember Khai saying to just put them in the freezer occasionally to sterilize them
dunno - I do it at times but I rinse and air dry my bottles after each ride

That's funny, I have no recollection of ever saying that. :p (It's completely possible that I did, my memory is shite - but I don't remember freezing bottles as a means of sterilization. I do remember recommending freezing cycling shoes if they're really nasty - that works a treat. But I wouldn't be drinking out of them!)

If you have a dishwasher just put them in the top rack and run it. You can pop the little slider bit off the nipple and use a small brush to scrub it out as well if for some reason your bottles are really funky. Or, a few drops of bleach in the sink and let them soak overnight. Just rinse them really well afterward.

The best thing is to clean them quickly after use. If a bottle with some sort of sugar in it is allowed to sit in your workout bag for a long time it takes more effort to clean it than if you clean it right away. Even if you just rinse it and then let it soak until you're ready to do a "proper" clean", you shouldn't have any significant work to get them pristine.

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<If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough>
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My apologies - with my memory I should never use another person's name without proper reference

I will now admit to never washing my water bottles. I mean, they only hold water, so no sugar...but even so. I've had the same water bottle at the gym for...seven years? Never washed. The one I use at my bike trainer I have used pretty much daily since I got it free with a bike shop bike purchase in 2002. It maybe has gone thru the dishwasher once or twice, and been soaped out maybe that many times..once a year, if I'm lucky. I know... I'm revolting.

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mmm-mmm-Momo Charms
Handmade beverage charms, jewelry, and miscellanea
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Thanks all - I may try and get the "spout" part off and either scrub, soak or dishwasher them. Hilarious that you never officially wash them - I'm referring more to the ones that end up with a sports drink in them, etc. I'll admit I never wash my swim suit, is that odd? Just rinse after the pool and hand dry. The rate at which I go through them seems pointless - speedsuit and tri suit def get a wash. :)

I soak mine in white vinegar and it gets the scum right off.

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http://aclockworkmango.com

I was taught NOT to wash swimsuits but only to rinse in clean water and hang dry.

I just did a google search and the top 10 links agreed. Just have to rinse the chlorine out. :)

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