Switching to a reusable water bottle is one of the easiest ways to ditch single use plastic in your daily life, plus with a bottle of water to hand it seems much easier to stay hydrated, but if you’re anything like us, it’s very possible you don’t keep that water bottle as clean as it should be!
So if you’ve ever wondered how often you should clean your bottle and the best way to keep it clean - we’re going to break it down for you. Your water bottle is going to be so clean and hygienic and that water is going to taste so much better, we promise.
Clean your bottle daily with hot soapy water & a bottle brush. A deeper monthly clean with baking soda or vinegar will deal with bad smells, mould or mildew problems.
For an everyday clean fill your bottle halfway and give it a good swill. Getting past the spout of some bottles is the hardest part of cleaning it so to get inside to give your bottle a good scrub you’ll find it much easier with a bottle brush. With a wider mouth bottle you can do without or use a regular dish brush. Make sure you give the cap and under the seal and the threads a good going over too.
We are pretty biased towards stainless steel over plastic here at Elephant Box and one major reason is that its so much easier to keep clean. The chromium layer on the surface of stainless steel gives it a naturally anti-microbial resistance and creates a smooth surface with no micro-pores that harbour bacteria and mould. Ever noticed discolouration in a plastic water bottle or mould growing on the inside? Or if you put tomato soup in a plastic tub and it stains orange forever? The reason for this is that on a micro-level, the plastic surface is open to foreign bodies and particles. Which is how stuff can leach into plastic, and toxic chemicals can also leach out. Not an issue with stainless steel! However, even with stainless steel after time, minerals build up and…smells. This is when a more thorough clean is called for. Especially if, like we mentioned earlier, you like to switch your drinks up in your bottle - tea, flavoured waters, coffee etc.
If you’re a bit of a slacker, like us, you'll probably wind up doing this monthly, but to keep your drink tasting fresh and your bottle sanitary we recommend you do this weekly.
There’s several DIY and natural options that you can use with stuff that you probably already have in the house. The three options that we like are baking soda, vinegar or Milton.
Baking soda is great for a deep clean. Also known as sodium bicarbonate or bicarbonate of soda, it has disinfectant, antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, and is excellent at removing bad smells. So, using baking soda to clean your water bottle will get rid of mildew, mineral build up, stains and those lingering odours.
Put one teaspoon of baking soda in your empty bottle and fill with warm water, give it a good scrub and leave to soak for at least 15 minutes or overnight and then rinse out with cold water
Bacteria can build up in moist conditions and sometimes you will see mildew and mould appearing inside your bottle. Pretty unpleasant but there is an easy fix. The best way to disinfect and sterilise your bottle naturally is with distilled vinegar. It’s non-toxic, mildly acidic, a good disinfectant and a fantastic DIY cleaning product all round the house.
Put 2 tablespoons of distilled (white) vinegar in your bottle and fill half way with warm water. Put the cap on and give it a good shake. Use your brush to give it a good scrub, then rinse with water and leave to dry completely before using.
Top tip: Don’t use any other type of vinegar as it may linger on in an unwelcome manner! No-one wants their water smelling like chips.
Either that stale coffee is smell is just too overpowering or things have been left a little too long and things have got pretty funky in your bottle. Maybe you’ve left the bottle for ages in the car or at the bottom of a bag. It smells really bad and you can see lots of mould inside! Don't worry - you can return your bottle to its former glory with these method below.
Number one rule. Don’t use bleach. It's not made for human consumption. Instead you can use hydrogen peroxide or Milton sterilising liquid. It’s not that easy to find hydrogen peroxide over the counter in small quantities but you can pick up Milton in the baby aisle of your local supermarket or pharmacy. Milton is totally safe and whilst researching this blog we found out that you can even use it to sterilise water.
To clean your bottle with Milton put a teaspoon in the bottom of your empty water bottle and fill with warm water. Leave overnight to soak, and in the morning give it a good scrub with hot soapy water and rinse.
These monthly cleans are great for caps too. To deep clean caps you can make up a bowl of the vinegar, baking soda or Milton solution outlined above and soak overnight, then give them a good scrub. For straws you’ll want to invest in a straw cleaning brush too.
If a seal has worn out or a cap's seen better days, it's worth replacing rather than persisting with a bottle that won't seal properly — browse our spare caps and seals.
Don't assume you can put your bottle in the dishwasher. It's a common assumption — after all, stainless steel is dishwasher safe in general, right? Not quite. Most insulated stainless steel bottles have a satin or matte finish rather than a mirror polish, and that textured surface is much more vulnerable to what happens inside a dishwasher. The combination of high heat and strong, alkaline detergents can etch the protective oxide layer on the steel's surface, leaving behind cloudy white blotches or patchy discolouration that won't wash off. It's purely cosmetic rather than a safety issue, but once it happens, it's permanent — no amount of scrubbing brings the finish back.
Our bottles are no exception. Even though they're made from high-quality 304 stainless steel, we recommend hand washing rather than the dishwasher, to keep that finish looking as good as the day you bought it.
Check with the manufacturer of your bottle to see if it can go in the dishwasher - if so put it on the top rack but take off any silicone seals first.
Drinking water is an essential part of a healthy life and drinking from a reusable water is great for the environment so we hope this guide helps you keep your water bottle in tip top condition and with you for life.
Browse our range of stainless steel water bottles here, We make our bottles to last, backed by a 15 year warranty. Plus, we stock a range of interchangeable caps & spare seals to make sure your bottle stays in service for years & years & years!
How often should I clean my stainless steel water bottle?
Give it a quick daily clean with hot soapy water and a bottle brush, and a deeper clean weekly to monthly using baking soda, vinegar or Milton — see above for the full method.
Can I put my stainless steel water bottle in the dishwasher?
We wouldn't recommend it. The high heat and strong detergents can etch the satin finish on insulated bottles, leaving permanent cloudy patches. Hand washing keeps it looking its best — see the dishwasher section above for the full explanation.
Is it safe to use bleach to clean a water bottle?
No — bleach isn't made for human consumption and shouldn't be used on anything you drink from. Hydrogen peroxide or Milton sterilising liquid are the safer options for a heavily soiled bottle.
Is Milton sterilising liquid safe to use on a water bottle?
Yes — Milton is designed to be safe enough for baby bottles and is even used to sterilise drinking water, so it's a safe option for giving a stainless steel bottle a thorough clean.
Can I clean my bottle by just soaking it overnight?
Yes — a baking soda, vinegar or Milton solution left to soak overnight (see the methods above) is often the easiest way to deal with smells or mineral build-up without much scrubbing.
Why does my water bottle smell even though I wash it regularly?
Usually mineral build-up from the water itself, or residue from switching between different drinks — tea, coffee, flavoured water. A daily rinse won't shift this; it needs the deeper monthly clean described above.
Can I clean an insulated water bottle the same way as a single-wall bottle?
Mostly, yes — the daily and deep-clean steps above work for both. The main difference is the dishwasher: insulated bottles have a more delicate satin finish, so hand washing matters even more for our insulated water bottles than for single-wall ones.
Do I need a special brush to clean my bottle?
A bottle brush makes it much easier to reach the base of narrower bottles, though wide-mouth bottles can usually be cleaned with a regular dish brush instead.
Are the caps and seals dishwasher safe?
No — wash caps and seals by hand, same as the bottle itself. Take the seal out before cleaning so nothing gets missed underneath it.
Will cleaning with vinegar or baking soda damage the stainless steel?
No — both are gentle enough for daily kitchen use and won't damage 304 stainless steel. Just stick to distilled white vinegar rather than other types, and rinse thoroughly afterwards.
What's the difference between a daily clean and a deep clean?
A daily clean (hot soapy water and a swill or scrub) keeps on top of everyday use. A deep clean — weekly to monthly, using baking soda, vinegar or Milton — deals with the mineral build-up and lingering smells a daily rinse can't shift.
Are spare parts available if my bottle's seal wears out?
Yes — you don't need to replace the whole bottle. We stock spare caps and seals so you can keep it going for years.
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