Freshen Reusable Water Bottles

First published on https://reducewastenow.com/blogs/

By Graydon Lawson

Graydon Lawson owns Reduce Waste Now and loves helping people achieve their zero-waste goals. While Reduce Waste Now is his primary job function, Graydon also enjoys spending time with his friends, family, and dogs. Say hi to Graydon on Instagram! @ReduceWasteNow

I bring my reusable water bottle everywhere with

me, like a part of my wardrobe. One day I was at

university sitting in class, and raised my water bottle

up to my mouth for a sip of water, when I noticed how

bad it smelled! Why do reusable water bottles stink? I

couldn’t think of the answer. After all, I only put water

in it! I was curious, so I did a little searching around

and found exactly why my reusable bottle smelled so

bad.

Reusable water bottles collect odor-causing bacteria from backwash, sweat, and saliva. The odor can smell bad faster if reusable water bottles are stored in a wet area, or left with the lid sealed for long periods of time with liquid in the bottle.

Bacteria doesn’t just build up in reusable plastic water bottles, it also accumulates in metal water bottles. It’s definitely worth it to keep a reusable water bottle over single use bottles, which are terrible for the environment. So how do you fix a smelly reusable bottle? There are a few methods you can try to clean your bottle and get rid of that smell. Remember, you should be cleaning your reusable water bottle every day.

Fill the bottle half-way with warm, soapy water, seal the lid, then shake for 20 seconds. Remove lid, scrub interior and exterior of the mouth as well as the lid of the bottle with a brush or cloth.

If your reusable bottle is dishwasher-safe, place it on the top rack of the dishwasher, mouth-side facing down. If the first two methods don’t remove the odor from your bottle, try using white, distilled vinegar. Fill your reusable water bottle with two tablespoons of white, distilled vinegar and fill the rest of the bottle up with water. Next, seal the lid and let the bottle rest upside down overnight. The next morning, pour out the vinegar and proceed to clean your water bottle with warm, soapy water.

Now your water bottle is fully clean and ready to go! Just make sure you remain consistent with cleaning your bottle to avoid bacteria build up. ,

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