andrelam

I found that washing them with hot water and letting them sit for a while really helps. I used the filtered water from my fridge and also add some ice cubes to keep the water cold. This helps in two ways. I like cold water, and the colder the water the less chemicals will leach out of the bottle. I have one Trek bottle (nice freebe from the LBS) and one insulated bottle. I drink the regular water bottle 1st and leave the insulated bottle for the afternoon. Two weeks ago when it was 8F outside my normal water bottle actually froze during my 5 miles ride in... that was different.

For cleaning I will either put the bottles through the dishwasher. That definitely kills any germ or I will bath them in B-Bright for 30 minutes. B-Bright is a non-clorine disinfectant that I get at the beer brewing supply store and it is used to clean all brewing equipment and bottles. It is nice since it is easy to rinse and doesn't leave any smell or taste behind like clorine does.

Happy riding,
André