Over recent years, more and more people have ditched disposable plastic water bottles for reusable ones, taking the step to be more sustainable. While these bottles are better for the planet, and can be a stylish addition to your lunch box, they can often prove tricky to clean. If your bottle is made of an opaque plastic or metal material, you can’t always see inside to tell if there is a build-up of dirt or mould, but you may begin to notice a musty smell and wonder how best to wash it out.
A cleaning expert, Lynsey Crombie, explained that one unexpected kitchen cupboard staple could be the key to getting rid of water bottle odours. Lynsey, who is known as the ‘Queen of Clean’ on social media and ITV’s This Morning, said she uses rice to get the job done.
Lynsey stated: “Grab some hard rice and fill the bottle so it covers the bottom. Half fill with water and then add a good drop of washing up liquid. Give this the biggest shake then leave it overnight.”
She said that the hard rice “acts as an abrasive cleaner, scrubbing away those black marks and leaving your bottle lovely and clean”. Lynsey acknowledged that you can use scrubbing brushes, but said that it is much harder to get into the crevices of the bottle using them.
The expert added: “You can get the thinner ones that you use for bottles, but I just don’t think they have the right cleaning power, so if you have a layer of scum in there, you’ve got the mould spots, go for the rice and the washing up liquid, it is such a great hack.”
Lynsey also revealed another trick to cleaning out a water bottle with ease, and this one uses denture tablets.
She explained: “You don’t have to buy branded ones, you can supermarket own brand, they’re not very expensive. One denture tablet into the bottle, fill it with water, pop the lid back on, give it a really good shake, leave it overnight, then pour it away and rinse it out in the morning.” She recommended using cold water for this.
Bicarbonate of soda can also be used – simply add a scoop roughly the size of an egg cup into the bottle with some warm water. “Give it a shake, leave it overnight, and then pour it away in the morning,” she told her social media followers.
Another common problem with water bottles is that sometimes you can get a build-up of limescale around the top. To combat this, Lynsey advised wrapping a piece of kitchen roll “drenched in white vinegar” around the affected area and leaving it for 15 minutes.