How do you clean your bottles ?

Bottles. I said bottles. Bidons if you will. They’re starting to smell of grapefruit SIS stuff. I suppose I could just buy new ones, and relegate these to chain cleaning duties. Unless someone has a bright idea ?

I got sick of weird smelling bottles and now only use water in them. I just eat more snacks.

Then in the dishwasher.

With persistently weird smells or a bottle that’s sat for a while I use Milton fluid to clean it.

Stop sniffing your bottles…….sorted

Boiling water, dishwasher, Milton. They probably only have a lifetime of 12 months anyway.

I have bottles I only use for water and other bottles that smelly stuff go in.

So what you’re saying is that your Bidon is not performing as well as it used to and should be replaced with a younger, fresher version?

Denture cleaning tablets will deodorise them – you can get fancy bottle cleaning tablets but I believe that denture cleaning tablets are the same stuff

I tend to find I have to wash them out asap otherwise they go funny but it’s impossible to stop the smell, just don’t sniff them and it’s only an issue if they taste funny. Some Milton or similar will keep it at bay but it’ll rapidly return.

So what you’re saying is that your Bidon is not performing as well as it used to and should be replaced with a younger, fresher version?

^^deserves some recognition.

I have some bottles that are water only and others that are allowed filthy sports powder in them.

The strategy for me is to rinse them immediately (outdoor tap) when I get home, then scrub them with a bottle brush and got water ASAP, and then put them through the dishwasher. That just about does the trick, leave them too long (like a day) and it becomes a challenge to sort them.

Also don’t underestimate the value of a large opening bottle, not only for tipping powder scoops in but also for access, getting in there to clean with a brush after a ride.

All the above applies if I end up having to use a squash/juice mix instead of powder.

Dishwasher always sorts mine. My current Camelbak Podium is at least 3 years old and used at least once a week.

Bottle brush and hot water after every use and an occasional dilute bleach solution if it starts to get any hard to shift gunk for me. Have managed a few years out of my SIS 800ml bottles and hope to get a few more as I like the valves, unlike numerous others I’ve tried..

I find my cheap bottles go like this.

I ended up moving to camel back podiums and they just don’t suffer this anywhere near as bad.

No special treatment just straight in the dishwasher. – the key I find is to get the fully dry as soon as you can after

I’ve a bunch of movistar and jumbo visma bottles my daughter got given by the mechanics at the tour of Britain and they were some of the worst for the smell and also mould growing . I suspect designed to be disposable. (Tacx)

Might be obvious to some, but I don’t store clean bottles( or any plastic containers)with lids on.

And as said above,the podium bottles don’t seem to contaminate as much as other brands,I just need to remember to strip down the lid parts occasionally for a proper clean.

should be replaced with a younger, fresher version

Sounds quite a bit more exciting when you put it like that.  Unfortunately I think it’s me that needs to be replaced by a younger fresher version.

Bottle itself is fine, the problem is the nozzle. If you’ve got clear plastic you’ll see what I mean, if it’s opaque then crack on, what you don’t see won’t kill you. Probably. But it’s manky as hell.

Only use water, emptied straight after ride and then through dishwasher. Stored with lids off, no issues at all

There’s an Elite microwave thing for cleaning their bottles. Don’t know what it does to the slight aroma of SiS or whether other branded bottles fit.

Missed an opportunity to name this thread Bidon, stay or go?

On a more serious note, are there any concerns with microplastics when putting bottles in the dishwasher? We don’t want to be drinking mould, but we probably don’t want our organs full of plastic either.

Milton for the win!

Just do them in the washing up. I always use tropical flavour stuff so any lingering smell goes unnoticed when I refill it.

I don’t put anything other than water in them, they never need much more than a rinse, with a bit more attention to the nozzle.

Dishwasher. I use sis electrolyte tabs and have never had any issues. Same with hydration bladders.

Milton or Steradent…but they need cleaned quickly, don’t leave them to fester.

Just rinse mine out with water before use (after too if I remember-never do) Been doing that for years and not died yet! Do put a drop of dilute juice i though to help the taste. Same for the hydration bladders but I freeze them long term.

We don’t put weird sports drinks or juices in bottles. Water only.
We hand wash normally, occasional dishwasher run having taken them apart to each last part if possible.
Never had a problem.

weird sports drinks

What makes them weird. Are we talking torq weird or tailwind weird ?

We also keep bladders and soft flasks in the freezer to keep them fresh

Missed an opportunity to name this thread Bidon, stay or go?

like button’s not working so this’ll have to do:  🙂

I only put water in the bottles/bosons I use on my bike. Then wash them in the sink (Milton or similar if they have been forgotten) or dishwasher.

I’ve got 2 bidons and I’ve had them both ten years

Dishwasher

i use Camelbak Podium and despite only putting water in it and bunging it in the dishwasher with the top fully dismantled I did have an old one develop a taste.

I swapped the top off another Camelbak Podium which I had hardly used because it is black (wtf is the point of a non-transparent bottle ffs) and the problem seems solved

There’s an Elite microwave thing for cleaning their bottles

Elite Neto, I have one. Works with Camelbak Podiums.

https://www.elite-it.com/en/products/water-bottles/storage-cases-and-accessories/neto

https://www.merlincycles.com/elite-neto-bottle-sterilising-kit-297712.html

I add a small amount of (uncooked) rice to a little washing up liquid and water in the bottle and give it a good shake with varying technique to give the inside of the bottle a thorough scouring. I use energy drink, electrolyte drink, and plain water in a variety of ancient bottles and none of them taste funky.

Bicarbonate of soda.

Jeez…just put them is the dishwasher and stop over-thinking everything. Ive got lots of bottles of various types, most cheap ones given away as part of an event I’ve been in. Some must be 5+ years old.

I use powered Gatorade in them but none of them smell!

Clean?

Bottles?

I don’t think my fidlock bottles have ever been in the house.

@tall_martin

 I just eat more snacks.

Then in the dishwasher.

Don’t your nuts get soggy?