I’ve got some Camelbak bottles which I can see a bit of mold (blackish) inside the bite valve under the transparent rubber. I assume this is from nutrition mix and the sort. How are others cleaning these things? I can dissemble it obviously but there are still areas I can see the dark “mold” but can’t get to with a brush, sponge, paper towel.
Do you guys/gals soak it in a solvent?
Vinegar diluted in water?
Warm water soak?
Put a bit of bleach in it, fill it with hot water, mix it up a bunch, and then dump it out and clean it by continuously rinsing it out several times.
Take off the rubber spout. Clean with a baby bottle brush
bleach and plastic that will hold something i consume… i strongly try to avoid that.
i use vinegar soak and a small brush
These threads come up all the time which makes me wonder what you’re (not necessarily you) doing. I use the same style bottle, and ALWAYS have some kind of fluid replacement drink in them, generally Gatorade. When I’m done, I rinse the bottles with hot tap water, and squeeze the bottle to rinse out the nozzle thoroughly. Then I wash them in the dishwasher the same day. I don’t throw the bottles in my gym bag, or back seat of my car. And I don’t wash them altogether at the end of the week. I simply follow the above, and NEVER have these issues. And I’ve had the same bottles for years.
It doesn’t happen with all of them and I suspect it’s the ones I added gels into for longer rides. That or the Gu Brew Electrolyte/Recovery mix I use. I also think when “shaking” the mix up there are larger deposits that end up getting in those hard to reach areas. I’m pretty meticulous with my stuff but I’ll be the first to admit I don’t care for these after each ride. I own 12-15 bottles and I just grab the next ones out of the fridge. When 2-4 are left I do a mass cleaning in the dishwasher (which is about once a week). The tops however I keep out of that as I hate the taste of the detergent residue on my valves. They take longer to get that taste out of unlike the bottles which just need a quick rinse or two.
Hmm, never noticed detergent residue. But yea, I wash everything in the dishwasher, if not immediately, then always by later that day.
take valve apart, soak in dishwasher detergent (diluted slightly w/ water) overnight, rinse
Use Q-Tip, as needed
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+1 bleach.
I just throw the lid in a partially diluted bleach & water mix overnight. Same applies to cleaning hose from bladders, etc… No scrubbing, no fuss.