All of us regularly use bottles for our daily water intake. We always carry them along and frequently consume the required liquids for our bodies from these containers. But have you ever gave a thought if you clean bottles at the right time and in the right way?
We are sure most of us would answer in a way which is not quite desired – washing the containers once in weeks or months and cleaning with running water or brush with the help of some liquid. One has to know that bacteria and fungus can grow in water bottles quickly, given that they are always moist or wet from inside. We must take special care to clean and maintain a water bottle. We most the times neglect this fact, and hence today, we decided to tell you best and top ten ways of how to clean water bottles right! Let’s get started!
Why Water Bottles Require Special Care?
First of all, why do we require to clean the water bottle and maintain it regularly? After all, it is just a container that we use and refill every day. If you are someone thinking along these lines, let us warn you – bacteria is likely to grow inside a water bottle very quickly. Germs and fungus can grow in dark and closed spaces where it is moist. A study has mentioned that water bottles can develop up to 300,000 bacteria cells if not cleaned for a week continuously. Isn’t it gross to even think about it? Hence it is required that one takes care of cleaning the water bottle in the right way!
How to Clean the Inside of Drinking Water Bottles:
There are several methods and techniques one can clean the water bottle. How many of them do you know well? Let us see the top ten ways, as follows.
1. Traditional Dish Soap Method:
Using dish soap like vim or other washing bar is a traditional method of cleaning any bottle or jar, for that matter, any drinkware! The process is followed since our grandmother’s time to wash up the jugin these lines. In the same manner, you can use dish soap and squeeze inside the bottle to make it clean. This is a popular and quite an easy yet effective way generally most of us prefer while cleaning plastic water bottles.
Required Things to Clean:
- Vim soap or any other dish soap
- Hot water or regular tap water (as per the water bottle type)
How to Clean Water Bottles Using Vim or Dish Soap:
- Add some fine dish soap or vim bar granules into the water bottle
- Fill up half of the bottle with hot water or regular water, depending on the type of material the bottle is made with
- Put back the cap
- Shake up the bottle well.
- Dump out the soap water
- Now clean and scrub near the mouth of water bottle well with a sponge
- You can use a bottle brush to reach inside the container and scrub well
- Rinse with water several times
- Leave it to air dry.
Suitable for: Plastic water bottle, metal, and any steel water bottles can be cleansed through using this traditional cleansing mechanism.
2. Modern Dishwasher Method:
Using dishwasher is the modern technique many youths and present-day households are following. If you have a dishwasher inside your home, then you are good to go. Not just that, make sure your water bottle is dishwasher safe. If you have a very sleek plastic bottle, we recommend you to not use the same in the dishwasher but rather to discard it too! Here is how to wash the water bottle in a hygienic manner using the dishwasher machine.
Required Things to Clean:
- Dishwasher
- Detergent
How to Clean Water Bottles Using a Dishwasher:
- Open the cap of a water bottle and load it inside the dishwasher
- Add detergent to your machine
- Set it up as per time required
- Leave it and take out the container once done
- Let it dry
Suitable for: Steel, metal and sports water bottles are best when cleaned with a dishwasher. Caution – make sure that the water bottle is dishwasher safe and marked.
Read: Best Infuser Water Bottles
3. Vinegar Cleaning Method:
Vinegar has properties to deep cleanse and remove dirt and grime from several things. We often see elders using vinegar to clean even bad stains on clothes or marks in the kitchen. Hence,in the same way, one can use vinegar easily to clean the water bottle. You can find the white vinegar in any grocery store.
Required Things to Clean:
- White vinegar
- Water
How to Clean Water Bottles with White Vinegar:
- Add white vinegar into the water bottle. You can add 1/5th of vinegar for a full bottle
- Fill it up with water
- Let it sit overnight. Do not wash the drinkware immediately
- Rinse it clearly with water in the morning
- Scrub the bottle near mouth and cap areas with a brush as required
- Rinse with water and let it dry
Suitable for: Any water bottles from plastic, metal, or steel can use vinegar to sanitize and deep cleanse.
4. Water Bottle Cleaning Kit Method:
Do you know that we now have special kits to clean the water bottles? Yes, you heard it right. You can even go ahead and purchase special water bottle cleaning kits available in the market and grocery stores easily. They have specific tools in different sizes to fit in different bottle parts such as cap, nozzles, and pipes inside. Indeed, this becomes one of the convenient and best ways to clean water bottles.
Required Things to Clean:
- Water bottle cleaning kit
- This includes brush and gloves in most cases
How to Clean Water Bottles Using a Special Cleaning Kit:
- Add in the required wash liquid to the bottle
- Let it stay for a while
- Take the special brushes in different sizes
- Scrub in the water bottle in different areas with the help of a brush
- Clean nozzle with scrub and sleek brush
- Clean the cap as well with a right brush in the kit
- Shake it well
- Rinse with water thoroughly
- Let it dry.
Suitable for: One can use the water bottle cleaning kit to any water bottles, ranging from plastic to steel or metal variants.
5. Hydrogen Peroxide Method (3% only):
Most of us do not know the goodness of using Hydrogen peroxide in using to clean water bottles. While the liquid is popular to cleanse and heal wounds in our body, you can use this method if your water bottle is very old and is having a bad odor. The method also helps to not just cleaning your drinkware, but also disinfect it from any bacteria.
Required Things to Clean:
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Water
How to Clean Water Bottles with Hydrogen Peroxide:
- Firstly wet the bottle
- Clean with regular soap and liquid
- Rinse with water
- Now pour ¼ cup of hydrogen peroxide
- Close the cap
- Make sure you do not let the air go inside the bottle
- Shake it well
- Leave it for a while
- After a good soak, come back and give it a rinse
Suitable for: Steel and metal water bottles are best to be used and cleaned with hydrogen peroxide.
Read: How to Wash Gold Jewelry
6. Water Cleaning Tablets Method:
The medical industry has been advancing, and nowadays, we even spot tablets for water bottle cleansing. Yes, you heard it right! Water cleaning tablets are available in the market today, and it is a step-up approach to clean the dirty to bad drinkware easily. Especially if you have bad, dirty, and greasy one, this method is quite easy to clean stainless steel and glass water bottle.
Required Things to Clean:
- Water cleaning tablets
- Water
How to Clean Water Bottles Using Water Cleaning Tablets:
- Just fill the bottle with full water
- Drop in the tablets inside
- Let it soak for 45-60 minutes
- Shake the bottle and rinse it well
- That is it, your bottle is disinfected now and is ready to use.
Suitable for: All types of water bottles can be cleaned with the water cleaning capsules/tablets, as required.
7. Bleach and Baking Soda:
Bleach and baking soda are the most technical and deep cleaning methods to wash any drinkware. If you want to use an old and bottle in bad condition, you may want to use this technique to get the bottle back to looking sparkling clean. Further, if your bottle has marks or oil grease around, you can even remove them quickly.
Required Things to Clean:
- Bleach
- Baking soda
- Water
How to Clean:
- One teaspoon of bleach should be diluted in full bottle of water
- Add another teaspoon of baking soda
- Leave it overnight
- In the morning, shake the bottle well
- Clean the nozzle and cap
- Rinse it thoroughly
- Make sure all solution is removed from drinkware
- Leave it for air dry
Suitable for: One can get a clean metal water bottle like steel, copper etc, by using this technique.
8. Cleaning with Hot Water and Salt:
If you are regularly cleaning the drinkware well, and do not require specific and unique care, then you can use this casual technique to rinse the bottle and clean it. This technique is solely for those who have clean bottles and to rinse them for regular use.
Materials Needed:
- Hot water
- Salt (preferably, rock salt)
Instructions:
- Pour boiling water into the bottle
- Add two spoons or three spoons of rock salt to it
- Let it stay for a few minutes
- Come back and shake the bottle well
- Rinse it thoroughly with normal water
Suitable for: Steel and copper bottles are better to go in using hot water. Refrain from using plastic water bottles with warm water. The plastic may melt and harm your health.
9. Sanitizing Wash and Brush:
Another casual and accessible way of cleaning water bottles, which are already in regular use, and aren’t very dirty or bad is here. Use any sanitizing wash or hand wash or liquid (such as Dettol) along with a bottle cleaning brush. It is a super easy and straightforward method to cleanse the drinkware for regular use.
Required Things to Clean:
- Sanitizing wash liquid
- Brush
How to Clean:
- Add a bit of wash liquid inside the bottle
- Fill it with water
- Leave it for 10 minutes
- Come back and scrub well with water bottle cleaning brush
- Rinse it well with water
- Rinse till soap and wash liquid is gone
Suitable for: All plastic, steel, and metal bottles can be applicable in this cleansing mechanism. Cleaning plastic bottles using wash liquid is famous and well-known among many, then using it for steel ones.
Read: How to Clean Spectacles
10. Simple Soak and Squeeze Method:
This is another casual wash technique and is suitable for regular everyday cleaning and rinsing mechanism. Do not follow this technique for those bottles which are old and dirty. Only in the case if your drinkware is clean and is used regularly, one can follow this easiest way for a clean water bottle. The above mentioned deep cleansing techniques can be used once a week alternatively.
Required Things to Clean:
- Water
How to Clean:
- Just fill in the bottle with water
- Shake and squeeze it well
- Rinse it thoroughly
- Alternatively, you can choose to scrub the bottle near cap and nozzle once in two days
Suitable for: All water bottles can be cleaned regularly in this simple way
If you think that cleaning bottles is very easy and is to be done once a while, then you are wrong. Uncleanly drinkware can lead to several health hazards and can affect overall well-being. Given that we consume water every day from the drinkware and use it regularly, it is our responsibility to keep it clean.