The life of a water bottle

[Andrew_Culture]

I've only used the High5 bottles recently, with daily use I would only expect to get three months out of them before they get a bit leaky. I've tried putting them through the dishwasher and soaking them in homebrew steriliser but anything other than a lukewarm rinse seems to knack them.

But they are cheap, so I recently bought six and labelled each cap and bottle to make sure they stay together - I think a lot of leaks have happened in the past due to putting an old cap on a newer bottle or vice versa.

 

[Cycleops]

You can spend a lot of money on bottles that claim all sorts of hygiene benefits but I doubt whether they have any real benefits. I say that having tried some. I am sure most are aware that most one litre mineral water bottles fit in bottle cage, so I think we just like to look cool!

 

[martint235]

Think I might be over cautious then...I get paranoid if the water is more than a day old!!!

I've not had problems in over 15 years. My commute is 12 miles each way but as I say I don't drink a lot of water while riding it. Your body is quite capable of telling you if something is off and then don't drink it. Change it when you can and if it tasted really rank then sterilise the bottle.

 

[compo]

I just rinse mine out then give them a good scrub with a bottle brush and a drop of washing up liquid, a good rinse and the jobs a good'un as they say.

I have read that bottles can pick up all manner of nasties off the road, especially in the wet when they can be sprayed from the wheels. All manner of muck can be washed off the fields into the road and get sprayed up onto the bottle which you then put to your mouth. I don't know how much risk this poses never having met anyone who claims to have been affected but it sounds like it could be true.

 

[Peteaud]

I just rinse mine out then give them a good scrub with a bottle brush and a drop of washing up liquid, a good rinse and the jobs a good'un as they say.

I have read that bottles can pick up all manner of nasties off the road, especially in the wet when they can be sprayed from the wheels. All manner of muck can be washed off the fields into the road and get sprayed up onto the bottle which you then put to your mouth. I don't know how much risk this poses never having met anyone who claims to have been affected but it sounds like it could be true.

A few germs do you good.

 

[Rob3rt]

I keep mine until I look at them and think, I fancy a fresh one, then I open up the bag in which I keep a large stock of bidons that I have accrued by utilising special offers and get a fresh one out!

 

[ianrauk]

I just rinse mine out then give them a good scrub with a bottle brush and a drop of washing up liquid, a good rinse and the jobs a good'un as they say.

This..^^ and making sure the bottles or properly dried before storing.

I have read that bottles can pick up all manner of nasties off the road, especially in the wet when they can be sprayed from the wheels. All manner of muck can be washed off the fields into the road and get sprayed up onto the bottle which you then put to your mouth. I don't know how much risk this poses never having met anyone who claims to have been affected but it sounds like it could be true.

Lukesdad caught a nasty bug from road crap on the bottle iirc.

 

[Rob3rt]

Steradent keeps them clean as well, half a tab in the bottle, half a tab in a glass of water with the lid dropped in!

 

[compo]

Steradent keeps them clean as well, half a tab in the bottle, half a tab in a glass of water with the lid dropped in!

I must get bottles with a wide enough neck for my dentures. I can kill two birds with one stone.

 

[doctornige]

I boil them in a stock pot once in a while.

 

[Rob3rt]

I boil them in a stock pot once in a while.

Some plastics should not be boiled, the high temperature alters the surface making them become porous such that they harbour bacteria etc more effectively. Not sure re. the material that bidons are made from, just something that might be worth a mention.

 

[pac-man]

+1 on the Camelbak Podium..good cap design with non drip locking valve plus BPA free so no funny taste
I have loads of free bottles from High5 and Zipvit I never use (donate them to schools/swimming clubs etc)

just wash n rinse after every use, but gets put in the dishwasher by otherhalf when I leave em on the side

 

[Supersuperleeds]

I use Sigg bottles. They will last longer than I do. They aren't the perfect cycling bottle as you can't squeeze them but for what it is worth, in my opinion they are the best drinks bottles ever.

 

[400bhp]

Where's Colin J.......................



I hope he has a picture or 2 of his bottles.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I used to use Sigg bottles, but a combination of things made me stop using them including them finally perishing (corroding) and leaking water out of the bottom of the bottle... It always used to raise eye brows and give both my husband and I lots of 'street cred' in the office because no-one had ever seen them that battered before.... It took about 8 years to die.

I purchased the Camalbak Podium Chill bottle as a replacement one very hot summer (remember those?) and still have it. Love it - no taste and keeps water cool in the summer, and warm in the winter (i.e. not frozen even at really low temps such as -15C). It is now on its 3rd lid (1st lid replaced whilst on 12 month tour, 2nd lid was accidentally bitten through on Christmas Day this year - don't ask, I simply buy the cheapest version of their non-chill bottle and switch the lid). I don't often clean it - I'm used to water from a private water supply having grown up without mains water. It is about 6 years old, possibly more.
From time to time it gets cleaned using Milton tablets - perhaps once a year or so.... normally it just gets rinsed out...