Sanitizing reusable water bottle

I'm not going to get involved with the debate on whether or not you need to clean your water bottle as specific times....however....there are tablets you can buy that will clean your water bottle. No brush required.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0CLFG9ZRN?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

Palinka works well too.

Where I live there is a tablet you can buy to sanitize babies' bottles. The brand is Milton. It has a chlorine-y sort of smell. If you are super worried you can take a bottle brush too.

Lavandula

Just keep it filled with vodka, no need to worry about sanitisation.

They just need to be cleaned, not sterilized.
Solution 1) Use disposable water bottles. (Any bottled water from store.)
Solution 2). Carry a small 3.3 oz bottle of dish soap in your 3-1-1 bag. End of day, add a few drops of soap and tap water. Swish well. Empty and rinse with tap water. (Or, use a “wet wipe” to clean, then rinse.

If you are not sharing water bottles, simple rinsing with tap water is fine for a couple of days. We need to exercise our body’s immune systems.

I like JC’s answer.

No need for a special bottle cleaner. Store-brand effervescent denture tablets work fine.

They are also great for taking out coffee stains.

Are you going someplace where the water isn't potable?

Unless you have some kind of upper respiratory infection, then yes, you are overthinking this. Any liquid soap will do. Dish soap is no more effective than liquid body soap or shampoo. A few drops, add water, shake vigorously, and rinse well. Take an alcohol or wet wipe to the opening and lid, in addition, and dry. Done .

Here's how you can take along dish soap without adding to your liquids allowance.

It was posted in Packing / Detergent for handwashing clothes. Swedish Dishcloth
I found a 2-pack of the cloths made by Dawn at a local grocery store by the sponges and scrubbers.

Posted by Amy P
Colorado 08/27/24 11:25 PM 9 posts
Swedish dishcloths are kind of a cross between a washcloth/dish rag and a
sponge. Here's a link to the ones I bought most recently, but there
are tons of brands and options available. At home before a trip, I cut
a full cloth into quarters, wet it and squeeze it out thoroughly, then
squirt a bunch of Dawn on it and leave it to dry on the counter. When
it is fully dry, I put it in a Ziploc. It's not liquid at that point,
so I don't need to put it in my liquids bag. I usually take a couple
for a 2-3 week trip. When I want to wash out my water bottle or stain
treat my spaghetti mishap, I just re-wet it in the hotel sink and go
to it. I try to rinse the cloth sparingly so I don't wash all the soap
out and can save it for more than one use. Although honestly, you
could take a half dozen of these and they'd barely weigh anything or
take up any room.

Mr É, Palinka could clear and sanitize clogged drains, I'm sure.

Absolutely and improves digestion and sharpens the mind.

I guess it depends what you put in the bottle.
I just use mine for water so, once every few days I rinse it out and around the mouth with some hot water that I warm up in the kettle for tea.

Am I overthinking this?

Yes

I use denture cleaning tablets for a standard water bottle. I can't imagine using alcohol wipes. I mean vodka will kill everything, so there is that and it is easily available.

If you have the sort of reusable bottle that has a spout, I think a tiny bottle brush would not be a bad idea. I say that because I noticed the spout on my reusable bottle (which I do not take to Europe) looked sort of foggy a few months ago even though I wash it pretty regularly (not every day, I admit). I pulled a very small bottle brush out of a drawer and applied it to the problem.

As far as I'm concerned, the sort of bottle that just has a screw-on cap can be cleaned effectively as others have described--fill partially with hot water, add a few drops of some form of soap and shake vigorously. I should note that I don't swap water bottles with other people.

Posted by Mr É 🇺🇸 🇺🇦 🇭🇺
Republic of Texas / U.S.A. / Magyarország / Budapest

Palinka works well too.

Is this a fortified wine like Madeira or maybe Meade?

What does it taste like?

It tastes like lighter fluid.

I have a Nalgene bottle with a screw lid that I use for water. Making a baking soda paste and taking a toothbrush to the inside of the lid helps to keep it fresh. Also, letting the empty bottle air out every now and then!

I've carried a reusable water bottle with me daily, and traveled with a reusable water bottle, for years, the kind with a simple screw top lid. At home I just run it through the dishwasher. When I travel, I rinse the bottle and lid thoroughly in hot tap water and let it air dry overnight.
My husband uses a Camelback water bottle with a bite valve and he will use it several times without washing it in between uses.
We've never had the first issue, and unless you have a compromised immune system or something, I doubt you will either.

I also was going to suggest denture tabs, but others beat me to it. I'd consider the lid and spout the only issue, and an alcohol wipe would be great on mine. Wiping off the outside every night would solve my. "Where did I sit this while taking a photo" dilemma. I'd not mess with the inside, it's only water after all.

I have used denture tabs to "clean" the coffee maker in a room if it looks sketchy. I carried them for years to clean my bite blocker when I used to grind my teeth at night

It tastes like lighter fluid.

How and when did you gain this knowledge?

It tastes like lighter fluid.

How and when did you gain this knowledge?

July 2014. I ordered it at Macesz Huszar in Budapest. I had a couple of sips and couldn't drink any more, and I swear, I could already feel the effects. I gave it to my husband, who made the lighter fluid remark.

I guess, since neither of us have actually tasted lighter fluid, it would be more accurate to say it tastes like lighter fluid smells. :D

I appreciate all your responses. If this wasn’t a 3 week trip, I’d wing it and not be concerned. I bought the tabs suggested above, I’ll wash out water bottles in the sink and will sanitize every week. And I’ll drink extra grappa just in case -:)

As long as the bottle has very few nooks and crannies, a good couple of rinses with hot water every night should do it quite well. If you'd like, rinse again in morning and then fill. And perhaps when you drink out of it, waterfall the water instead of putting up to mouth and getting a smidge of backwash. But really the double rinse at night will do 99.99% of the work for what you need.