How To Clean That Dirty Hydro Flask

With more people trying to cut down on their single-use plastic consumption, water bottles like Hydro Flasks have become an accessory that many of us take everywhere: To the gym or yoga class, on bike rides, and sitting dutifully next to our computer while we work. But though we're constantly refilling it throughout the day, we're often forgetting to do something extremely important: clean it.

"You need to wash your water bottles after every use," Brian Sansori, Senior Vice President of Communications at The American Cleaning Institute told Apartment Therapy. "Or daily if you refill throughout the day. It may only hold water, but bacteria breeds in damp, dark environments like the inside of the bottle."

While Hydro Flask powder-coated bottles are dishwasher-safe, many people prefer washing them by hand. The first step is to use warm, soapy water and a nylon brush to scrub the inside cavity. Then take a nylon straw brush to clean inside the straw, and a nylon detail cleaner to get into all the nooks and crannies of your cap or lid. Hydro Flask sells its own, but any variety will do.

Another solution is a natural cleaning tablet, and Hydro Flask has its own option made by Bottle Bright. Simply fill a bowl with one liter of warm water, add the bottles, caps, and lids, and drop in the tablet. Let it sit for 15 to 30 minutes, empty and rinse, and your water bottle is ready to go.

There are plenty of other tried and true cleaning methods devotees swear by to remove lingering odors or weird tastes. For really stinky bottles, put a teaspoon each of bleach and baking soda in, fill with water, and let it sit overnight. The next day, either rinse it well or put it in the dishwasher, and let it air dry. Other options are quicker, such as filling your bottle with white distilled vinegar or hydrogen peroxide and letting it sit for 10 minutes. Rinse and air dry. But it's important not to mix the two solutions as it creates a corrosive acid that is dangerous to the lungs, throat, nose, and eyes (via The Kitchn).

While Bottle Bright is one of the better-known companies making effervescent cleaning tablets, other options include SoJourner, Tumbler, and Vacplus, and some are quite a bit cheaper than Bottle Bright. Look for cleaning tablets that are made with natural and biodegradable ingredients. The best part is the tablets can be used to clean other items that are stainless steel, glass, plastic, porcelain, silicone, or metal.

No matter which cleaning method you prefer, it's always important to take the water bottle lid and straw off for cleaning. Whether they're going on the dishwasher's top rack, getting scrubbed by hand, or getting put into a solution, the bottle or tumbler will get much cleaner if it's taken apart as much as possible.