The Best Ways to Clean & Sanitize a New Water Bottle

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Remove germs & smelly odors with dish soap & water
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New water bottles often have an unpleasant taste or smell when you bring them home from the store. Luckily, all it takes is a bit of dish soap and warm water to clean your water bottle and remove unwanted odors. We interviewed cleaning specialist Jonathan Tavarez to learn about the best ways to clean out your new water bottle and sanitize it. Keep reading to learn how to wash and deep clean your new bottle and how often you need to clean it!

Things You Should Know

  • Wash your new water bottle, cap, and any small parts (like a straw) with warm water and dish soap. Then, rinse it out with water and let it air dry.
  • If your bottle still smells, fill it with cool water and add 1 tbsp (15 ml) of bleach for every 1 quart (1 l) of water. Let the bleach sit for 15 min, then wash the bottle.
  • Or, deep clean your bottle by filling it ⅕ full with white vinegar and topping it with warm water. Shake the bottle and let it sit overnight before rinsing it out.
Method 1
Method 1 of 7:

Cleaning with Dish Soap

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  1. If your new water bottle can’t be washed in the dishwasher, wash it by hand. Just fill your sink with warm water and a squirt of dish soap. Then, use a sponge to clean the inside, lip, and outside of the bottle. Scrub inside and outside of the bottle cap, too. [1]
    • Or, fill the bottle with warm water and dish soap and shake it to evenly disperse the soap inside.
    • Rinse the bottle and cap thoroughly with water to remove any soap.
  2. Scrub the inside of the bottle with a bottle brush , if necessary. If it's hard to reach the inside of the bottle because it has a small mouth, use a bottle brush to clean the interior. Simply fill the bottle with warm water and dish soap and scrub down the insides. [2]
    • Scrub the outside of the bottle to remove any stickers, sticker residue, or embellishments, too.
    • If you don’t want to use a brush, pour 2 tbsp (11.5 g) of uncooked rice into the bottle, fill it halfway with water, and add a few drops of soap. Then, shake the bottle to agitate the rice and scrub the bottle. [3]
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  3. Clean the mouthpiece and straw with a straw cleaner . If your water bottle comes with a reusable straw or lid with a mouthpiece, wet a small straw brush cleaner with warm water and add a dab of dish soap. Then, scrub inside the pieces and rinse them thoroughly with water. [4]
    • Clean any other small pieces on your water bottle, like a bite valve, with the straw cleaner.
  4. As an alternative to hand washing, check the packaging on the water bottle to see if it’s dishwasher safe, or look at the bottom of the bottle. If it is, simply place your bottle on the top rack of your dishwasher and run your washer’s hottest water setting.
    • Remove the water bottle cap and any other parts, like a straw, to ensure each part of the water bottle gets cleaned.
    • Wash your bottle according to any special instructions on the packaging or bottle. For example, you might need to use a particular dishwasher setting to avoid damaging the bottle.
  5. Place the water bottle and any other parts on a drying rack or clean towel to dry. Keeping the water bottle parts separate helps them dry faster and prevents bacteria from growing. [5]
    • When your water bottle is dry, reassemble the parts and fill it with water!
    • If your new bottle still smells or has residue inside, use one of the deep cleaning methods below to get it sparkling clean.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 7:

Deep Cleaning with Bleach

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  1. If your bottle still smells funky after washing it with soap, bleach can deodorize and disinfect the inside. Just add 1 tbsp (15 ml) of bleach for every 1 quart (32 oz or 1 l) of cool water your bottle holds. [6] Shake the bottle to mix the solution and then let it sit for at least 15 minutes.
    • Note : Rinse out the bottle and wash it with dish soap after letting it soak. It's very important to remove all the residue as bleach can be toxic when ingested. [7]
    • Soak the bottle cap and any other parts, like the straw, in the bleach solution, too.
    • For an extra deep clean, cleaning specialist Jonathan Tavarez recommends letting the bottle “sit overnight with the [bleach] and [rinsing] it out in the morning.”
    • Allow the bottle to air dry before you use it.
Method 3
Method 3 of 7:

Deep Cleaning with Vinegar

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  1. As an alternative to bleach, fill your bottle ⅕ full with white vinegar and top the rest with warm water. Shake the bottle to mix the solution and then let the bottle sit overnight. In the morning, rinse out your bottle with water. [8]
    • Vinegar is an effective disinfectant and deodorizer. [9]
    • Wash out your bottle with dish soap and water before cleaning it with vinegar.
    • Clean the top of the water bottle and any other parts with the vinegar, too.
    • Let your bottle air dry before using it.
    • If you still smell vinegar after rinsing your bottle, wash it out with dish soap and warm water.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 7:

Deep Cleaning with Baking Soda

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  1. Baking soda is another great alternative that also sanitizes and removes odors in your water bottle. Just fill your bottle with warm water and add 2 to 4 tsp (12-24 g) of baking soda. Shake your bottle to mix the solution and let your bottle soak overnight. [10]
    • Clean your water bottle with dish soap and water before deep cleaning it.
    • Rinse your bottle thoroughly with water after soaking it.
    • Make sure to deep clean the bottle cap and any other parts, too.
Method 5
Method 5 of 7:

Deep Cleaning with Hydrogen Peroxide

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  1. Hydrogen peroxide is another natural cleaner that disinfects your water bottle. Simply add ¼ c (59 ml) of hydrogen peroxide into your bottle, put on the lid, and shake it vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes. Then, pour out the peroxide and rinse the bottle with water. [11]
    • For a quick clean, cleaning specialist Jonathan Tavarez advises spraying your bottle with “peroxide and distilled vinegar between uses.”
    • Hydrogen peroxide is particularly effective at deep cleaning metal water bottles.
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Method 6
Method 6 of 7:

Deep Cleaning with Water Bottle Cleaning Tablets

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  1. Fill your bottle with water and add a water bottle cleaning tablet . Water bottle cleaning tablets are made with disinfecting and deodorizing ingredients to deep clean your bottle. Simply fill your bottle with warm water, pop in a tablet, and let it soak for 15 to 30 minutes, or according to the tablet’s instructions. [12]
    • Then, rinse the bottle thoroughly to remove all traces of the cleaning solution.
Method 7
Method 7 of 7:

How often should you clean a water bottle?

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  1. If you use your water bottle every day, wash it as well as the cap and any other parts (like a straw) after each use. Cleaning it with dish soap and warm water prevents germs, bacteria, mold, and unwanted gunk from building up inside. [13]
    • Dish soap effectively cleans plastic, stainless steel, and glass water bottles.
    • If your water bottle is dishwasher-safe, simply load it in your dishwasher at the end of each day.
    • Bacteria and germs thrive in warm, damp, and dark conditions, so they grow and multiply quickly inside your water bottle.
    • Touching your water bottle, drinking out of it, and setting it down on surfaces also cause bacteria to build up on and inside your bottle.
  2. Regularly cleaning your water bottle can still leave behind unwanted bacteria and germs. So, sanitize your bottle, cap, and any other parts at least once per week using bleach, vinegar, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, or a cleaning tablet , as described in the sections above.
    • Cleaning specialist Jonathan Tavarez recommends doing “a daily maintenance of cleaning the water bottle…with soap and water before attempting to disinfect [it].
    • These deep cleaning methods work great for plastic, stainless steel, and glass water bottles.
  3. Even with regular cleaning, your water bottle deteriorates over time. Get a new water bottle after a year of regular use, or once it shows signs of wear and tear. [14]
    • Instead of throwing out your old bottle, call your local recycling center to see if they process reusable water bottles. [15]
    • Or, reuse your water bottle for another purpose, like a storage container or vase.
    • Throw out your water bottle if you ever see mold growing inside. It is hard to safely remove mold from a water bottle.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    How often should I wash my water bottle? (I only use water to fill it). It is plastic type 1.
    Maddcat11
    Community Answer
    I would say maybe once a week or so just rinse it out with hot water, and then if it's dishwasher safe, maybe throw it in every once in a while. You can never be too clean!
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      Warnings

      • Rinse out your bottle thoroughly with water and dish soap after cleaning it with bleach. Ingesting small amounts of diluted bleach can potentially cause mouth and throat irritation, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. [16]
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      • Do not mix bleach with any other cleaning agents. This can create a toxic gas that is harmful to breathe in. [17]
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      Expert Interview

      Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about cleaning, check out our in-depth interview with Jonathan Tavarez .

      References

      1. ↑ https://www.a2gov.org/departments/water/Pages/article.aspx?i=72
      2. ↑ https://healthyheels.org/2012/04/10/how-often-do-you-clean-your-water-bottle/
      3. ↑ https://www.homify.in/diy/5836/diy-cleaning-hack-how-to-clean-a-reusable-water-bottle
      4. ↑ https://healthyheels.org/2012/04/10/how-often-do-you-clean-your-water-bottle/
      5. ↑ https://healthyheels.org/2012/04/10/how-often-do-you-clean-your-water-bottle/
      6. ↑ https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/how_to_keep_your_water_bottle_germ_free
      7. ↑ https://www.poison.org/articles/what-is-bleach
      8. ↑ https://www.ahealthiermichigan.org/2014/09/15/the-right-way-to-care-for-your-reusable-water-bottle/
      9. ↑ https://www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/chemicals/acetic-acid/
      1. ↑ https://doh.health.tas.gov.au/healthykids/blog/how_to_clean_water_bottles
      2. ↑ https://www.housedigest.com/1460036/hydrogen-peroxide-clean-metal-water-bottle/
      3. ↑ https://edition.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/home/how-to-clean-water-bottle
      4. ↑ https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/how_to_keep_your_water_bottle_germ_free
      5. ↑ https://doh.health.tas.gov.au/healthykids/blog/how_to_clean_water_bottles
      6. ↑ https://sustainability.mit.edu/article/stuff-versus-stuff-which-water-bottle
      7. ↑ https://www.poison.org/articles/what-is-bleach
      8. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/hygiene/about/cleaning-and-disinfecting-with-bleach.html

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