cleaning a water bottle

[rik_uk3]

No need for Milton, its pretty much only bleach which is 20p a litre in Tesco. Tiny drop of bleach if you like and or a bicarb soak and rinse with diluted lemon juice. If you intend to store for months then just fill with water and a tiny bit of bleach...rinse really well before using.

 

[petrochemicals]

h2o2 solution at 35% (liquid oxygen), same stuff i use to ensure my hydroponics stay bacterial free

I think you mean peroxide, It gives me nice blond locks, blonds have more fun don chan now,

 

[nitrambur]

homebrew steriliser from wilko's
or a homebrew shop if you can find one

 

[Jared]

If its got crud in it, put some BBs in and shake for a bit... then milton it.

 

[cranmere]

Milton and baby bottle cleaners are effectively just measured doses of bleach. A splosh of ordinary household bleach - the cheapest thin stuff is best - fill with water and let it soak for a few hours. To scrub out the green stuff you need something that will scour, fine grit or rice will do it, put in the grit plus just a little water and shake and swirl it around. If you do it after the bleach soak the bleach will have killed the slime and loosened it.

 

[santaman2000]

Another vote for ordinary household bleach (diluted) for the sterilization. Also as others have said, something gritty inside to scour the crud off. Several good ideas already mentioned: torn scrubbies, rice, BBs, etc. Even clean sand. Already mentioned was Baking Soda (Bicarbonate of Soda) that will help neutralize the foul smells.

My personal preference would be:
1st do the scouring (if it needs it)
2nd do the sterilization (mandatory) and
3rd do the odor removal (again, this step is, if needed) then finally
4th a thorough rinse

 

[petrochemicals]

Got to say, I would be more nervous about using household bleach on rubber things or anything that may get affected by it, thin flexible things, or rubberized hydration bladders. I don't know whether this is incorrect or not, but I suppose that's the point. Wonder whether it will affect the welds either?

 

[santaman2000]

Got to say, I would be more nervous about using household bleach on rubber things or anything that may get affected by it, thin flexible things, or rubberized hydration bladders. I don't know whether this is incorrect or not, but I suppose that's the point. Wonder whether it will affect the welds either?

Years of using it on military canteens never hurt them. Nor using it on the CPR training dummies. Nor Gas masks (neither military warfare masks nor industrial respirators for spray painting) The T.O.s (Technical Orders) for the first two call for cleaning with a mild bleach solution and the third calls for the same as a secondary choice if alcohol isn't available. I've personally used it on all three. Bleach is not a solvent to rubber or plastic. It can and might fade colors some.

And lets not forget that when we fill them with tap water, we're using water with a mild dose of chlorine (household bleach) applied at the water treatment plant.

Bear in mind though not to use it full strength. Just a couple of drops per canteen full of water is plenty. Fill the canteen or water bottle about half full, slosh it around to coat the inside well (with the cap on loosely so that some of the solution sloshes out and onto the threads) the pour it out and let it air dry (this is the everyday procedure for cleaning canteens being issued to a new user)

 

[MartiniDave]

If you want a bushcrafty type solution here goes.

When I was a nipper my dad used to work out in the fields all day, he always took a bottle of cold tea to drink. That used to stain the glass bottle quite badly after a while. To remove the stain and freshen the bottle up again my mother would put a couple of small nettles in the bottle, add some hot water - about a cupful, and shake it all vigorously. From what I can remember it worked pretty well.

Dave

 

[Bluffer]

Always store bottles on their side or upside down with the cap off!

Hydration-packs are the worst for going mouldy, but brushes and chlorine will keep them clean.

The inside of Lifesaver bottles will also go mouldy, but this does not affect their use because the mould is on the 'dirty' side.

 

[forrestdweller]

i never forgot anything in my bottles for longer then a few days (and once in OZ (beginners mistake...) put milk in a bottle which turned to cottage cheese within hours....) but some vinegar usually did the trick for me....

 

[rik_uk3]

Milton and baby bottle cleaners are effectively just measured doses of bleach. A splosh of ordinary household bleach - the cheapest thin stuff is best - fill with water and let it soak for a few hours. To scrub out the green stuff you need something that will scour, fine grit or rice will do it, put in the grit plus just a little water and shake and swirl it around. If you do it after the bleach soak the bleach will have killed the slime and loosened it.

Read post 21 lol

 

[Tomcoles]

Toothpaste is great at cleaning it out and getting rid of the smell