Off of someone’s suggestion here, i grabbed some new specialized insulated bottles. form factor is definitely better than the camelbacks. seem to clean better too.
Having said that, I have a whole trove of camelbacks still. Personally I find that the best/most gentle cleaning method of gnarly bottle is 50% white vinegar/ 50% water and let them sit overnight.
Agreed on those cleaning sponges - I got them as a stocking stuffer gift for Christmas and didn’t think I’d use them, and now I use them all the time. They’re great
Of you guys that use Specialized Purist bottles: How do you remove the nozzle to clean them? I have two of them and managed to break one trying to pry it free of the topcap. Annoying, because otherwise I quite like them.
My other go to bottles are the Elite ones. Easy, straightforward to clean by hand.
on the subject, what is the current etiquette at amateur events? There will be a buffet midway through the event and not sure what the proper, clean procedure is for refilling the bottles?
Wash the bottles as soon as possible after a ride, I usually just rinse with soap and water and make sure to squeeze that soap water through the valve, then rinse.
I make sure the bottle and valve are totally dry before putting the cap on and storing.
I also have 2 sets of bottles I rotate through.
On Purist bottles with Watergate caps, the black nozzle can be removed by turning it counter-clockwise. Once removed, you’ll see the retention barbs are ramped to allow it to be removed by twisting.
Thank you! Exactly right! Also, I can‘t believe I couldn‘t figure this out by myself. But, well, everything is obvious once you know the answer.
Thanks again!
I bought a dishwasher with “bottle Jets” specifically for cleaning the various water bottles we generate in a house of 6 active individuals. I do still rinse them out as soon as I get done with a ride before they go in the DW though just to prevent mold.
I switched to purist bottles as well because of the tendency for the camelbaks to grow mold in the caps, with no easy way to disassemble them.
Ever since switching to Purists a year ago, I have found them easier to use and easy to clean (I generally soak the caps is dish liquid in a mug). I’m “forever” done with camelbak bottles.
My long time shop is specialized shop, I’ve got a half dozen of the shop bottles, mostly the big-mouth 1.0 and 2.0 and have only had mold grow once or twice… The lids aren’t “sexy” like the camelback bottles, but they also don’t make that weird slurping sound of the camelbacks I just bought (for the first time in 8? years). At least the ones I got are insulated.
The bottles that have sugar in them, I usually just remix and replace in the fridge after a rinse. No time for crap to grow. The water-only bottles get the same treatment. Once a month or so I’ll give them all a heavy soak with dish detergent and an even heavier rinse. Sometimes my wife puts them in the dishwasher and I have to re-rinse when they come out.
I just found out the hard way (during a race) that you can also completely remove the nozzle from Elite Fly series bottles.
Makes cleaning a lot easier and throughout.
I’m surprised nobody has mentioned vinegar yet. I learned my lesson years ago about using soap in bottles. I had not fully rinsed it prior to a race. Was a hot day and the soapy water was causing GI issues. Dishwasher as well can melt the cap and cause leakage. I buy a gallon of vinegar 1:3 dilution with water with a scrub brush and then work through the nozzle. I don’t mind a little vinegar on occasion, much better than soap in my opinion.
I’m about to pull the trigger on one of these things. A baby bottle sanitizer. I can’t find any info online if anyone has used them for cycling bottles but it seems like it could be a winner. I think baby bottles are a bit shorter but I’m sure there’s one that will work.
I have done something similar for several years: we have had two little ones, so we bought a container and baby bottle disinfectant. This works very well. Even if you clean diligently and keep e. g. bottles for water and electrolytes and bottles for energy mix separate, very often crud and mold might accumulate in hard or impossible-to-clean places such as parts of the nozzle. That all goes away if you leave them in the disinfectant.
The only caveat is that I learnt I shouldn’t leave the screw caps in there for too long, the rubbery plastic of my Specialized bottles has gotten a tad soft.
I keep my water heater cranked to about 140*, and rinse bottles after use, being sure to squeeze the hot water out the nozzle. Squeaky clean! Gets the drink mix out and (probably) sanitizes it a little. I’ve never had mold with this method.
I highly doubt dishwashers get water into the crevasses of the nozzle.