What is a good reusable bottle that isn't a mould farm?
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Kind of a rant — I drink water and flavored-water beverages, and I don't wanna buy 24-packs of water and trust my local municipality to recycle. Maybe they do, maybe they don't. Either way, it's not recycle, it's "reduce, reuse, recycle." I'll drink a Gatorade (Zero) and reuse it a few times and then toss it.
But if I want a reusable bottle — there's one by Aladdin (Thermos) I like, and one by Zojirushi, I've bought two of each over the years. Just tossed the Zojirushi. Zojirushi is a Japanese brand, very high quality, but a bit over-engineered. It's got this rubber gasket and plug that, you can clean them daily, they get black spots. Not sure if it's mould or what, but it's kinda gross and I don't like it. The Aladdin/Thermos one is a bit better, didn't think there was any mould anywhere until I dropped it, the cap flew out, mould farm inside! Nowhere that touched the beverage so that was nice. But I'm kinda done with both of them. I would rather just waste plastic than risk drinking from a mouldy reusable cup.
Are there reusable bottles that aren't mould farms?
you can clean them daily, they get black spots
Daily?! I clean mine weekly and I put coffee and milk in them. I drink my coffee by lunch and rinse them out 3x. I turn them upside down and air dry the 2nd half of the day. They're dried by end of day. Do that 5x a week. Wash on the weekends.
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I’ve used hydro flasks and cleaned them very frequently but have still had contamination issues that jack my stomach up (only filtered water, never anything else). Switched back to a Nalgene bottle with a simple top and the same cleaning regime (or even more lax) with no issues. Sucks because I really liked my hydro flasks, but I like not feeling like I am being stabbed better. Not sure what the deal with them is, but they breed bad stuff on the quick.
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I’ve used hydro flasks and cleaned them very frequently but have still had contamination issues that jack my stomach up (only filtered water, never anything else). Switched back to a Nalgene bottle with a simple top and the same cleaning regime (or even more lax) with no issues. Sucks because I really liked my hydro flasks, but I like not feeling like I am being stabbed better. Not sure what the deal with them is, but they breed bad stuff on the quick.
oh man thats unfortunate. I've never had any issues with mine, but I'm glad the Nalgene worked out better for you.
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Kind of a rant — I drink water and flavored-water beverages, and I don't wanna buy 24-packs of water and trust my local municipality to recycle. Maybe they do, maybe they don't. Either way, it's not recycle, it's "reduce, reuse, recycle." I'll drink a Gatorade (Zero) and reuse it a few times and then toss it.
But if I want a reusable bottle — there's one by Aladdin (Thermos) I like, and one by Zojirushi, I've bought two of each over the years. Just tossed the Zojirushi. Zojirushi is a Japanese brand, very high quality, but a bit over-engineered. It's got this rubber gasket and plug that, you can clean them daily, they get black spots. Not sure if it's mould or what, but it's kinda gross and I don't like it. The Aladdin/Thermos one is a bit better, didn't think there was any mould anywhere until I dropped it, the cap flew out, mould farm inside! Nowhere that touched the beverage so that was nice. But I'm kinda done with both of them. I would rather just waste plastic than risk drinking from a mouldy reusable cup.
Are there reusable bottles that aren't mould farms?
The only thing that ever comes in contact with my water bottle is water. It is always spotless.
You are contaminating it with your mouth when you drink from it. If you put sugary stuff in there, you are basically carrying a petri around with you and asking why its growing stuff.
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FWIW water grows less mould than water with sugar/flavor/etc.
Assuming USA, kleen kanteen, with a simple screw-off cap. Or yeti with those slider caps. Personally as a desk worker my water jug has no cap.
For cleaning, soaking for 20 min or so with hot water and something like unscented oxyclean, powder brewery wash, or a bit of dishwasher powder works very well at removing organic matter - for stainless and glass.
I am very bad at remembering to clean my water bottles regularly, I have about 4 nalgene bottles and a CamelBak in fairly regular rotation, they get left in the car, sometimes with water in them, sometimes empty but rarely totally dry, often for days, weeks, or even moths at a time. I don't drink water that's been sitting in my bottles for that long, but I've never noticed any weird smells, scum, cloudiness, mold, etc when I go to empty them.
And I can't say I've ever had an issue with mold or any other funkiness in any of my bottles.
And I think a lot of it is that I only put water in my bottles, no flavorings or anything else (except maybe occasionally iodine or other water purification products when I'm camping, which of course is just going to kill anything that would start growing in there otherwise)
I also usually (but not always) fill them with purified water to begin with.
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Kind of a rant — I drink water and flavored-water beverages, and I don't wanna buy 24-packs of water and trust my local municipality to recycle. Maybe they do, maybe they don't. Either way, it's not recycle, it's "reduce, reuse, recycle." I'll drink a Gatorade (Zero) and reuse it a few times and then toss it.
But if I want a reusable bottle — there's one by Aladdin (Thermos) I like, and one by Zojirushi, I've bought two of each over the years. Just tossed the Zojirushi. Zojirushi is a Japanese brand, very high quality, but a bit over-engineered. It's got this rubber gasket and plug that, you can clean them daily, they get black spots. Not sure if it's mould or what, but it's kinda gross and I don't like it. The Aladdin/Thermos one is a bit better, didn't think there was any mould anywhere until I dropped it, the cap flew out, mould farm inside! Nowhere that touched the beverage so that was nice. But I'm kinda done with both of them. I would rather just waste plastic than risk drinking from a mouldy reusable cup.
Are there reusable bottles that aren't mould farms?
Youtuber "Miranda Goes Outside" just came out with a bottle that's supposed to resemble a Smart Water bottle in form-factor but have the entire top unscrew ( in addition to the narrow standard bottle cap) for easy cleaning.
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Kind of a rant — I drink water and flavored-water beverages, and I don't wanna buy 24-packs of water and trust my local municipality to recycle. Maybe they do, maybe they don't. Either way, it's not recycle, it's "reduce, reuse, recycle." I'll drink a Gatorade (Zero) and reuse it a few times and then toss it.
But if I want a reusable bottle — there's one by Aladdin (Thermos) I like, and one by Zojirushi, I've bought two of each over the years. Just tossed the Zojirushi. Zojirushi is a Japanese brand, very high quality, but a bit over-engineered. It's got this rubber gasket and plug that, you can clean them daily, they get black spots. Not sure if it's mould or what, but it's kinda gross and I don't like it. The Aladdin/Thermos one is a bit better, didn't think there was any mould anywhere until I dropped it, the cap flew out, mould farm inside! Nowhere that touched the beverage so that was nice. But I'm kinda done with both of them. I would rather just waste plastic than risk drinking from a mouldy reusable cup.
Are there reusable bottles that aren't mould farms?
I have a stainless steel Nalgene bottle that I only use for water. It does have a plastic cap that is a bit unsatisfying. But, I haven't noticed any mould issues and it's perfectly ok to clean the metal part with boiling water or with bleach.
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Kind of a rant — I drink water and flavored-water beverages, and I don't wanna buy 24-packs of water and trust my local municipality to recycle. Maybe they do, maybe they don't. Either way, it's not recycle, it's "reduce, reuse, recycle." I'll drink a Gatorade (Zero) and reuse it a few times and then toss it.
But if I want a reusable bottle — there's one by Aladdin (Thermos) I like, and one by Zojirushi, I've bought two of each over the years. Just tossed the Zojirushi. Zojirushi is a Japanese brand, very high quality, but a bit over-engineered. It's got this rubber gasket and plug that, you can clean them daily, they get black spots. Not sure if it's mould or what, but it's kinda gross and I don't like it. The Aladdin/Thermos one is a bit better, didn't think there was any mould anywhere until I dropped it, the cap flew out, mould farm inside! Nowhere that touched the beverage so that was nice. But I'm kinda done with both of them. I would rather just waste plastic than risk drinking from a mouldy reusable cup.
Are there reusable bottles that aren't mould farms?
I have a Bubba water "bottle" I've been using daily since 2019. No mold, no issues.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079B962YQ
Non-affiliate link. -
FWIW water grows less mould than water with sugar/flavor/etc.
Assuming USA, kleen kanteen, with a simple screw-off cap. Or yeti with those slider caps. Personally as a desk worker my water jug has no cap.
For cleaning, soaking for 20 min or so with hot water and something like unscented oxyclean, powder brewery wash, or a bit of dishwasher powder works very well at removing organic matter - for stainless and glass.
I love brewery wash for my water bottle! Soap or bleach always seemed to give me a funny taste or order. It may have been in my head, but I didn't like it and it led me to cleaning it less often.
Decided to hit it with StarSan one time it got icky and cleaned it right up with no taste or smell.
I try to run it through the dishwasher more often, but if I put something odd in the bottle or it sat out for a long time, now I StarSan it.
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Kind of a rant — I drink water and flavored-water beverages, and I don't wanna buy 24-packs of water and trust my local municipality to recycle. Maybe they do, maybe they don't. Either way, it's not recycle, it's "reduce, reuse, recycle." I'll drink a Gatorade (Zero) and reuse it a few times and then toss it.
But if I want a reusable bottle — there's one by Aladdin (Thermos) I like, and one by Zojirushi, I've bought two of each over the years. Just tossed the Zojirushi. Zojirushi is a Japanese brand, very high quality, but a bit over-engineered. It's got this rubber gasket and plug that, you can clean them daily, they get black spots. Not sure if it's mould or what, but it's kinda gross and I don't like it. The Aladdin/Thermos one is a bit better, didn't think there was any mould anywhere until I dropped it, the cap flew out, mould farm inside! Nowhere that touched the beverage so that was nice. But I'm kinda done with both of them. I would rather just waste plastic than risk drinking from a mouldy reusable cup.
Are there reusable bottles that aren't mould farms?
wrote last edited by [email protected]stainless steel or glass. Those are your options for growth-free stuff. Even then, water only, or you're only creating a science experiment. Even then, wash frequently or you're only creating a science experiment.
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I'm a huge fan of glass bottles because of their ease of cleaning and resilience to getting funky. The lid is the only place you have to be careful of, but that's usually a lot easier to be mindful of
Same! I've been using the Lifefactory ones for the last few years and just run them through the dishwasher with everything else. No special treatment, and they've held up well.
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Kind of a rant — I drink water and flavored-water beverages, and I don't wanna buy 24-packs of water and trust my local municipality to recycle. Maybe they do, maybe they don't. Either way, it's not recycle, it's "reduce, reuse, recycle." I'll drink a Gatorade (Zero) and reuse it a few times and then toss it.
But if I want a reusable bottle — there's one by Aladdin (Thermos) I like, and one by Zojirushi, I've bought two of each over the years. Just tossed the Zojirushi. Zojirushi is a Japanese brand, very high quality, but a bit over-engineered. It's got this rubber gasket and plug that, you can clean them daily, they get black spots. Not sure if it's mould or what, but it's kinda gross and I don't like it. The Aladdin/Thermos one is a bit better, didn't think there was any mould anywhere until I dropped it, the cap flew out, mould farm inside! Nowhere that touched the beverage so that was nice. But I'm kinda done with both of them. I would rather just waste plastic than risk drinking from a mouldy reusable cup.
Are there reusable bottles that aren't mould farms?
I use a stainless steel insulated bottle and I clean it with Polydent tablets, like for cleaning dentures. It works incredibly well.
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Kind of a rant — I drink water and flavored-water beverages, and I don't wanna buy 24-packs of water and trust my local municipality to recycle. Maybe they do, maybe they don't. Either way, it's not recycle, it's "reduce, reuse, recycle." I'll drink a Gatorade (Zero) and reuse it a few times and then toss it.
But if I want a reusable bottle — there's one by Aladdin (Thermos) I like, and one by Zojirushi, I've bought two of each over the years. Just tossed the Zojirushi. Zojirushi is a Japanese brand, very high quality, but a bit over-engineered. It's got this rubber gasket and plug that, you can clean them daily, they get black spots. Not sure if it's mould or what, but it's kinda gross and I don't like it. The Aladdin/Thermos one is a bit better, didn't think there was any mould anywhere until I dropped it, the cap flew out, mould farm inside! Nowhere that touched the beverage so that was nice. But I'm kinda done with both of them. I would rather just waste plastic than risk drinking from a mouldy reusable cup.
Are there reusable bottles that aren't mould farms?
You're probably going to have the easiest time just cleaning them periodically.
If you want to have something that's intrinsically antifungal, instead of stainless steel, you could get a copper-alloy water bottle, like bronze or brass.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antimicrobial_copper-alloy_touch_surfaces
Antimicrobial copper-alloy touch surfaces can prevent frequently touched surfaces from serving as reservoirs for the spread of pathogenic microbes. This is especially true in healthcare facilities, where harmful viruses, bacteria, and fungi colonize and persist on doorknobs, push plates, handrails, tray tables, tap (faucet) handles, IV poles, HVAC systems, and other equipment.[1] These microbes can sometimes survive on surfaces for more than 30 days.
I wouldn't bet on it stopping growth on the gasket, though.
It looks like this claims to be copper (which if correct, I would think would be really prone to denting):
https://www.amazon.com/Adonai-Hardware-Hammered-Copper-Bottle/dp/B09MZ9VYJS
This vacuum flask says that it has a copper internal lining:
https://www.amazon.com/OUTSIDER-Stainless-Vacuum-Insulated-Bottle-Thermos/dp/B0BX7C1MDK
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I like wide mouth bottles that match the diameter of the rest of the bottle, because they are the easiest to clean. You can even just toss them in the dishwasher depending in the material.
I also try to only buy titanium bottles since they last a lot longer than stainless steel. Some brands are too expensive but ive gotten lucky in the past with no name brands.
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Kind of a rant — I drink water and flavored-water beverages, and I don't wanna buy 24-packs of water and trust my local municipality to recycle. Maybe they do, maybe they don't. Either way, it's not recycle, it's "reduce, reuse, recycle." I'll drink a Gatorade (Zero) and reuse it a few times and then toss it.
But if I want a reusable bottle — there's one by Aladdin (Thermos) I like, and one by Zojirushi, I've bought two of each over the years. Just tossed the Zojirushi. Zojirushi is a Japanese brand, very high quality, but a bit over-engineered. It's got this rubber gasket and plug that, you can clean them daily, they get black spots. Not sure if it's mould or what, but it's kinda gross and I don't like it. The Aladdin/Thermos one is a bit better, didn't think there was any mould anywhere until I dropped it, the cap flew out, mould farm inside! Nowhere that touched the beverage so that was nice. But I'm kinda done with both of them. I would rather just waste plastic than risk drinking from a mouldy reusable cup.
Are there reusable bottles that aren't mould farms?
wrote last edited by [email protected]I would just not care about the biofilm and wash it regularly. If you fill the bottle from a clean source and it doesnt smell or taste strange, the water should be fine for consumption.
You know your fresh water pipes also have biofilms in them? If it isnt contaminated, the microorganisms there are harmless. So if you get clean water from the pipes and your mouth has a healthy microbiome, where should potentially harmful microorganisms come from?
Only in rare amounts from the environment when you open the bottle. For that to create a buildup will take time. If you properly wash your bottle like once a week you should be fine.
No bottle will stay clean if you dont wash it from time to time.
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32oz wide mouth Nalgene for me. I have 3 and cycle them every 2 days. Dishwasher when I run it and bottle brush once a week. Never a hint of anything.
Exactly what I have. I just fill it up with water and just dump it out. I hardly ever scrub it completely; just a soap + water + shake twice a month.
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You're probably going to have the easiest time just cleaning them periodically.
If you want to have something that's intrinsically antifungal, instead of stainless steel, you could get a copper-alloy water bottle, like bronze or brass.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antimicrobial_copper-alloy_touch_surfaces
Antimicrobial copper-alloy touch surfaces can prevent frequently touched surfaces from serving as reservoirs for the spread of pathogenic microbes. This is especially true in healthcare facilities, where harmful viruses, bacteria, and fungi colonize and persist on doorknobs, push plates, handrails, tray tables, tap (faucet) handles, IV poles, HVAC systems, and other equipment.[1] These microbes can sometimes survive on surfaces for more than 30 days.
I wouldn't bet on it stopping growth on the gasket, though.
It looks like this claims to be copper (which if correct, I would think would be really prone to denting):
https://www.amazon.com/Adonai-Hardware-Hammered-Copper-Bottle/dp/B09MZ9VYJS
This vacuum flask says that it has a copper internal lining:
https://www.amazon.com/OUTSIDER-Stainless-Vacuum-Insulated-Bottle-Thermos/dp/B0BX7C1MDK
I suddenly understand why every handle, kick plate, knob and hinge were made of brass on the infantry bases I saw it was at.
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Kind of a rant — I drink water and flavored-water beverages, and I don't wanna buy 24-packs of water and trust my local municipality to recycle. Maybe they do, maybe they don't. Either way, it's not recycle, it's "reduce, reuse, recycle." I'll drink a Gatorade (Zero) and reuse it a few times and then toss it.
But if I want a reusable bottle — there's one by Aladdin (Thermos) I like, and one by Zojirushi, I've bought two of each over the years. Just tossed the Zojirushi. Zojirushi is a Japanese brand, very high quality, but a bit over-engineered. It's got this rubber gasket and plug that, you can clean them daily, they get black spots. Not sure if it's mould or what, but it's kinda gross and I don't like it. The Aladdin/Thermos one is a bit better, didn't think there was any mould anywhere until I dropped it, the cap flew out, mould farm inside! Nowhere that touched the beverage so that was nice. But I'm kinda done with both of them. I would rather just waste plastic than risk drinking from a mouldy reusable cup.
Are there reusable bottles that aren't mould farms?
wrote last edited by [email protected]I’ve used a single Sigg traveler bottle for ages, but I’ve had mold buildup on the cap seal. Luckily Sigg has the caps sold as spare parts, so I’ve only had to replace the cap a couple of times during all this time. But it’s been near 15 years I think now, lining intact and all. It’s got a bunch of dents from falling on hikes, sometimes down from pretty high cliffs, but I feel it only adds to its attitude sort of.
Not sure if I’d go for a Sigg today, I have stainless steel in my sights if this one ever proves ready for retirement, but Id definitely choose one that has either replaceable seals and seals sold as spare parts, or at least sells new caps as spare parts. And I’d for sure go with something similarly robust that can handle drops and getting banged around.
The cap design on the Sigg is pretty unbeatable though. It’s so natural for a finger when opening or closing and keeping the cap while drinking, but it also fits all sizes of carabiners or similar, so it’s just so handy to keep around on house but especially on hikes. I’m spoiled thanks to that, so I think there’s a high standard for whatever I’d choose next.
But I can really recommend the aluminum Sigg traveler. Today it has a lot more actually enticing competition, but it’s a classic choice at least around here in Northern Europe.
Edit: Worth noting; Siggs prior to 2008 had BPA in the lining. Mine has a yellow tint in the lining, which is the telltale sign of the BPA-free, safe one. Today, only the aluminium bottles are manufactured in Switzerland, the others are in China (which I think has been thanks to some brand-leeching Chinese acquisition at some point)
Edit2: I also have a lot of old military surplus water bottles from around Europe (similar form factor) simply because both my few-days-bag and longer hiking rig have MOLLE all over the surface, and the old ALICE (us standard from I think around 1970) and MOLLE (or similar, today almost everything in terms of military surplus has something that fits into it) pouches for the water bottles of that certain shape can be had for extremely cheap, and they are so robust in keeping them in place thanks both to the bottle shape and the MOLLE in general, and it’s so flexible.
I mostly use these to carry extra water as plan B but especially for boiling for food or coffee etc. all of them have a certain funky smell that never disappears, but I’ve tested them all by keeping plain water in them for a week or more, then pouring out and seeing how it looks to naked eye, and how it tastes. The smell on some of them can get into the water a little bit, but all taste normal and so far I’ve not got any problems from using them. I would assume the military of all institutions would take care to make these things valid for long term and active use, since, you know, water is pretty much the main driving force in ensuring troops can keep going. But because of the smell I tend not to go for them as the main bottle, ever.
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Kind of a rant — I drink water and flavored-water beverages, and I don't wanna buy 24-packs of water and trust my local municipality to recycle. Maybe they do, maybe they don't. Either way, it's not recycle, it's "reduce, reuse, recycle." I'll drink a Gatorade (Zero) and reuse it a few times and then toss it.
But if I want a reusable bottle — there's one by Aladdin (Thermos) I like, and one by Zojirushi, I've bought two of each over the years. Just tossed the Zojirushi. Zojirushi is a Japanese brand, very high quality, but a bit over-engineered. It's got this rubber gasket and plug that, you can clean them daily, they get black spots. Not sure if it's mould or what, but it's kinda gross and I don't like it. The Aladdin/Thermos one is a bit better, didn't think there was any mould anywhere until I dropped it, the cap flew out, mould farm inside! Nowhere that touched the beverage so that was nice. But I'm kinda done with both of them. I would rather just waste plastic than risk drinking from a mouldy reusable cup.
Are there reusable bottles that aren't mould farms?
I've had good luck with kleen kanteen. Stainless steel with a steel screw in top. No gaskets.
I know what you mean about the moldy gaskets, I've had that problem with insulated coffee mugs.
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Kind of a rant — I drink water and flavored-water beverages, and I don't wanna buy 24-packs of water and trust my local municipality to recycle. Maybe they do, maybe they don't. Either way, it's not recycle, it's "reduce, reuse, recycle." I'll drink a Gatorade (Zero) and reuse it a few times and then toss it.
But if I want a reusable bottle — there's one by Aladdin (Thermos) I like, and one by Zojirushi, I've bought two of each over the years. Just tossed the Zojirushi. Zojirushi is a Japanese brand, very high quality, but a bit over-engineered. It's got this rubber gasket and plug that, you can clean them daily, they get black spots. Not sure if it's mould or what, but it's kinda gross and I don't like it. The Aladdin/Thermos one is a bit better, didn't think there was any mould anywhere until I dropped it, the cap flew out, mould farm inside! Nowhere that touched the beverage so that was nice. But I'm kinda done with both of them. I would rather just waste plastic than risk drinking from a mouldy reusable cup.
Are there reusable bottles that aren't mould farms?
Anything that's wet all the time is going to grow mold or algae or whatever.
Whether you rinse or scrub, if you just shake off the drips or even towel it off before you fill it up again it's going to get gross.
It needs to spend a significant amount of time completely dry.
The solution is to have 2 bottles and switch them every few days.
