How to Clean a Stainless Steel Water Bottle

Co-authored by Raymond Chiu

Cleaning a stainless steel water bottle is a cinch. Just fill it with warm, soapy water, replace the cap, then give it a few good shakes. Empty the bottle, then rinse it out with warm water. Place it on a rack to dry. If it needs a deeper cleaning, use equal amounts of baking soda and bleach, or fill it partway with vinegar, then top it off with water and let it sit overnight.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Cleaning By Hand

1
Fill the bottle halfway up with a warm water and soap solution. The easiest way to clean your stainless steel water bottle is to fill it halfway with water and squirt a few drops of liquid dish soap into it. Replace the bottle’s cap. Shake the bottle vigorously for several seconds. Unscrew the bottle, then empty its contents.^{[1]
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2
Rinse and dry the bottle. Successively fill and empty the bottle several times with warm water. Turn it upside down and place it in your dishrack to dry.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Raymond Chiu
House Cleaning Professional
Expert Interview. 8 May 2020.}

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3
Use a bottle brush. If the mouth of your stainless steel water bottle is too narrow for you to reach the bottom and inside of the bottle using a traditional sponge, you can use a bottle brush to clean it. A bottle brush is an elongated cleaning device to help you clean the deep recesses of your stainless steel water bottle. These are especially useful if you’ve filled your stainless steel water bottle with something other than water.^{[3]
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- Some stainless steel water bottles come with a bottle brush. If yours did not, though, you can obtain one online or at your local outdoor goods store.
4
Scrub the ridges. If your stainless steel water bottle has a screw-on top, it is important to clean the threading that winds around the mouth of the bottle.^{[4]
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Expert Source

Raymond Chiu
House Cleaning Professional
Expert Interview. 8 May 2020.} To do this, just dampen a sponge with soapy water and grip the inside and outside of the bottle’s mouth with the sponge. Rub the sponge along the mouth of the bottle several times to get it clean.^{[5]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using Alternative Cleaning Methods

1
Place your water bottle in the dishwasher. If you have access to a dishwasher, you can simply place your stainless steel water bottle in the dishwasher along with the rest of your dishes when you’re ready to wash a load. Place the bottle in the dishwasher upside down with its lid off. Place any detachable parts – a lid or straw, for instance – in the dishwasher as well.^{[6]
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- Add an appropriate amount of dishwasher detergent, close the dishwasher and run a regular cycle.
- Before placing your stainless steel water bottle in the dishwasher, check it for confirmation that it is dishwasher safe. For instance, the bottom of the bottle might read, “Dishwasher safe.” Bottles that are painted or insulated are probably not dishwasher safe.^{[7]
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2
Use vinegar to clean the water bottle. Fill the stainless steel water bottle to about 1/5 of its capacity with white vinegar. Fill it the rest of the way with water. Let the water bottle sit overnight. In the morning, pour the vinegar/water mix out. Rinse the bottle thoroughly with water, then turn it upside down in your dishrack to air dry.^{[8]
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Expert Source

Raymond Chiu
House Cleaning Professional
Expert Interview. 8 May 2020.}
3
Use baking soda and bleach to clean the bottle. Add one teaspoon of bleach and one teaspoon of baking soda to your water bottle. Fill it the rest of the way with water. Let the water bottle sit overnight. Empty the contents the next day, then rinse it thoroughly with water. Turn it upside down to let it air dry.^{[9]
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- This cleaning method is effective for stainless steel water bottles that have developed a stench.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Choosing the Right Stainless Steel Water Bottle

1
Look for bottles that have removable bottoms. Many newer stainless steel water bottles have bottoms that can be twisted off. This allows you to better access the bottom and inside of the water bottle, which might be impossible in a stainless steel water bottle that has a narrow neck and mouth.^{[10]
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2
Select a bottle that has a wide mouth. Bacteria can hide in the bevels of water bottles with narrow mouths. A wide-mouthed stainless steel water bottle will limit the curvature of the water bottle’s internal surface, minimizing the surface area that bacteria prefer. Wide-mouthed bottles allow you to more easily see and access the inside of it, making cleaning easier.^{[11]
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3
Ensure your bottle is made with food-grade stainless steel. Not all stainless steel is created equal. There are a number of different stainless steel alloys. Before buying a stainless steel water bottle, check the tag or the bottle itself for verification that the bottle is made from stainless steel with either 18/8 or 304. These are the two food-grade stainless steel ratings.^{[12]
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Expert Q&A
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Question

How do I clean the cap of my water bottle?

Raymond Chiu
House Cleaning Professional
Raymond Chiu is the Director of Operations for MaidSailors.com, a residential and commercial cleaning service based in New York City that provides home and office cleaning services at affordable prices. He has a Bachelors in Business Administration and Management from Baruch College.

Raymond Chiu

House Cleaning Professional

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

To clean the cap of a stainless steel water bottle, first rinse the cap and use a brush to loosen as many stains as possible. Next, soak the cap in vinegar for 30 minutes and rinse thoroughly. It is important to clean this regularly, depending on how often you use the bottle.
Question

How to clean underneath and around the gasket of the lid?

Ecoway Drinking-Vessels

Community Answer

Separate the gasket from the lid, use a soft brush and tap water. These things can clean it completely.