Cleaning water bottles
Posted by closeyoureyestosee on Nov 13, 2007 · Member since Jan 2007 · 1218 posts
Any suggestions on how to clean my Nalgene bottle? I've tried baking soda (but maybe didn't use enough?) and soap but I can't get rid of that weird bacteria smell. Help!
Let it soak in vinegar overnight, then let it air out for a day or more, then wash it out with soap and water.
Let it soak in vinegar overnight, then let it air out for a day or more, then wash it out with soap and water.
Oh my god, but I use it ALL the time! What am I going to do in the meantime?!
Good question... get a back up? Bring a cup and be thankful you aren't drinking chemically smelling water... Then again, I say to air it out so you don't have the taste of vinegar instead, though you could just wash it in the morning and fill it with water for the day.
I also vote for the vinegar. I'd combine it with baking soda ... but, uh, watch out for the eruption. ;)
we also periodically fill a whole sink up of hot water and put in literally a capful of bleach (yeah, i know), then just let them all soak for a few hours. we do this a couple times a year and otherwise do the baking soda, vinegar thing....maybe lemon juice would work too? and have a nice tangy aftertaste! :P
If you get a backup bottle, consider a Kleen Kanteen (http://www.rei.com/product/738271). It's unclear as to whether the Bisphenol-A in lexan, which is what Nalgene bottles are made from, leaches into the water. BPA is an endrocrine disrupter. All of the material in Kleen Kanteen that touches water is stainless steel. I have a Kleen Kanteen, but I still use my Nalgenes a lot. Shout-out to Bookmama who introduced me to Kleen Kanteens.
We have Nalgenes and some equivalent HDPE water bottles, but we've got Kleen Kanteens on our Christmas list. They were all over the Green Festival when it was here in DC.
Let it soak in vinegar overnight, then let it air out for a day or more, then wash it out with soap and water.
Hehehe - this is way we always got the beer smell out of Nalgenes in college. Works like a charm ::)