How To Clean a Reusable Water Bottle — How To

We have a lot of water bottles in our house: Little purse-sized ones I carry everywhere, heftier ones that I stash in the car's cup holder, and big ones my husband and I sit next to all day while we work. Plus, the kids have a few versions we rotate through, too! And while these generally don't get as dirty as some of our other kitchenware when we use them just for water, and not while we (or especially the kids) are eating, they need to be washed periodically.

A certain kind of film builds up on the inside, debris accumulates along the rims, and the straws can get mildewy over time. Plus, if you ever use the water bottle to hold anything else, like coffee or juice, you know that those flavors really linger. Cleaning water bottles is tricky, though, because you don't want them to forever smell of soap or vinegar, and it's tough to hit every nook and cranny.

And so here you go: Here's how to clean a reusable water bottle.

READ MORE »