Status: 09.01.2024, 14:00 PM
By: Andrea Stettner
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Drinking bottles can mutate into germ catapults unnoticed. But not with good care. In cases of hardship, home remedies help with cleaning.
Whether for sports, school or leisure: drinking bottles can be refilled again and again and taken with you everywhere. However, if handled incorrectly, germs and stubborn dirt can quickly form.
Bacteria and mould can quickly form in drinking bottles
According to Sebastian Rau, Head of Customer Service Beverages at SGS Institut Fresenius, it is best to use water bottles only for water anyway. Then they will not start to stink and it is enough to just rinse them with water. "But as soon as you fill drinking bottles with sweet drinks, dairy products or juices, a breeding ground for bacteria, mold and yeasts is created," Rau told the SZ magazine. "The bottle starts to smell and needs to be cleaned intensively or, if the smell doesn't go away, disposed of." Therefore, you should clean the water bottle immediately after each use and place it in such a way that it can dry well - for example upside down.
Cleaning water bottles with home remedies – here's how it works
Drinking bottles – whether for sports, school or leisure – can be wonderfully cleaned with home remedies. © Zoonar.com/Yuri Arcurs peopleimages.com/Imago
If dirt or odours have settled in the water bottle that can no longer be removed with water, a soft brush and a little washing-up liquid, home remedies can help with cleaning, according to experts:
- Baking soda or baking soda: These tried-and-tested home remedies not only clean drinking bottles from stubborn dirt – they also make odours disappear in no time. Simply add a packet of baking soda (alternatively a teaspoon of baking soda) with hot water and let it sit for a few hours. Since gases are produced in the process, the bottle should not be sealed. Finally, rinse well – done. This method is best suited for glass and stainless steel bottles – you should be careful with cheap plastic.
- Vinegar: Pour two tablespoons into the water bottle together with hot water and leave on for two to three hours, then rinse well. The vinegar has a germicidal effect and dissolves many dirt. In this case, please do not use vinegar essence, as its strong acidity is too aggressive for most materials.
- Denture cleaners: Coarse cleansing tablets are said to be in no way inferior to classic cleaning tablets for drinking bottles. They are particularly suitable for getting rid of tea and coffee discoloration in thermos flasks or other drinking bottles. Dissolve one tablet in water and leave on overnight. Rinse well the next morning. Denture cleaners are also said to work wonders for rust, mold and other dirt in the household.
- Dishwasher tabs: Throw a tab or some dishwashing powder into the water bottle, fill it with hot water and let it sit for several hours. Rinse well and rework with a dishwashing brush if necessary. In the case of aluminium and plastic tabs, you should avoid them because of the salts.
- Coarse salt or rice: If you have a water bottle with a narrow neck, brushes usually can't get to the coarse dirt. In this case, salt or rice can help to clean the bottle mechanically. However, you should only use this method as a last resort, as it not only scrubs away dirt, but also the material of the water bottle can suffer: Add somerice or coarse salt to the bottle together with hot water and shake it vigorously. Wait for some time and shake every now and then.
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When should you replace the water bottle?
Drinking bottles become unsightly over time – then even thorough cleaning won't help. When it should finally be replaced depends on the material: Plastic drinking bottles should be disposed of after just one year – in the event of cracks, even earlier, as ZDF.de reports. Drinking bottles made of glass or stainless steel, on the other hand, last much longer. These only need to be replaced if they can no longer get rid of bad odours despite cleaning or if the drinking bottle no longer closes properly. By the way, proven home remedies also help against smelly towels - without any chemicals