Disinfecting drinking bottles?

I seem to have a bit of an issue.

Normally when I go riding, I have a mixture of 50% orange juice and 50% water (bottle, no tap) in my drinking bottles. After every ride, I'll wash the bottles and fill them with water.

I haven't been able to ride for a few weeks now, and didn't pay much attention to them.
Today I walked into the kitchen and noticed that the water level has dropped a bit and there were small dark spots on the inside of the bottles.
A quick Google search revealed that traces of sugar can cause bacterial growth and mold inside plastic containers. Seeing as orange juice contains sugar, this is obviously what's happening. I probably didn't wash the bottles thoroughly enough.

Due to my background of stomach problems (loads of infections, hiatal hernia, several stomach surgeries), I'm not just going to wash them and re-use them. Slightly bad food usually results in a trip to the hospital, so I dread to think what contaminated water will do.
Has anyone got any tips for disinfecting drinking bottles or should I just bin them and buy new ones every time I don't ride for more than a few days?

Milton should do the trick. Get a bottle brush, clean them as best you can, then milton.

Honestly, storing them the way you do isn't a great way of storing them, you're much better off storing them dry.


[/wannabe microbiologist]

+1 for Milton. Not sure you can get it over there, but I get the tablets of it and just mix them in boiling water. Never had a mouldy bladder yet shock and it tends to go for a while between uses.

I store it dry too.

Another +1 for Milton.
An Alka Seltza tablet chuck in the bottom with some water, the fizz will remove staining.

Be warned I put some cycling bottles in the dishwasher and the plastic promptly shrunk !!

Steradent tablets, keeps your dentures sparkling clean too

Milton = Brand name for sterilising fluid for babies bottles.

Any pharmacy or supermarket will stock it.

I use this in my camelback when the tube turns black.

And you should store the bottles dry!

Or you can store them in the freezer.

Bicarbonate of soda takes away the mingy taste afterwards.

futuristicoldman":3k6zwtmu said:

Bicarbonate of soda takes away the mingy taste afterwards.

Click to expand...

Good call, Alka Seltza is just glorified bicarb at 4 times the price.

Another tip, drop of vanilla essance in water left to soak for a bit will take away manky taste/smell from bottles but won't be enough to flavour drink after rinsing.

Its really interesting though but can that algae do you harm or is it the that its not wright to have it in your bottle is there any proof that it can hart you :shock:

Anyone else been ill from drinking this algae in camelpacks or drinking bottles not realizing its been in there for some time