Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Commuting
Reload this Page >

Sanitizing & sterlizing water bottles and camelbaks??

Search
Notices
Commuting Bicycle commuting is easier than you think, before you know it, you'll be hooked. Learn the tips, hints, equipment, safety requirements for safely riding your bike to work.

Sanitizing & sterlizing water bottles and camelbaks??

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 09-08-12 | 09:18 AM
  #51  
EKW in DC's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 2,053
Likes: 0
From: Alexandria, VA

Bikes: Trek 830 Mountain Track Drop bar conversion

Originally Posted by als20
I would suggest vinegar and water,it does a fine job,I use it on mine.They use a mixture of vinegar and water to clean out patients catheter bags in the hospital and long term care settings.Some people use lemon juice.The acidic content will kill alot.of germs.The idea of bleach and water and having the residue floating around in the bladder and hose doesn't sound like a mix a would like to have in my camel back.
I'm notoriously bad about keeping my bottles clean...usually go weeks between washing them, so take this with a train of salt, but vinegar was the first thing that pooed into my mind, too. Safe to ingest and used regularly and successfully to clean lots of other things...
EKW in DC is offline  
Reply
Old 09-08-12 | 09:43 AM
  #52  
Senior Member
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 8,162
Likes: 647
From: Brooklyn NY

Bikes: Kuota Kredo/Chorus, Trek 7000 commuter, Trek 8000 MTB and a few others

I'll second the StarSan. We homebrewers depend on it to sanitize everything. The brew process converts the grain starch to fermentable sugar, and this sugar is basically microbe food. If you put the wort (boiled grain sugar) into anything that isn't sanitized you get infected beer in no time flat. Everything that touches it once you've turned that burner off needs to be sanitized. It is also no rinse, so you take your equipment out of the bucket and use it, and I usually insert my hands in it too so they are sanitized, even though my hands shouldn't be touching the beer. It also somehow acts as yeast food, so that is also a benefit for brewers. We soak clean bottles in it, empty them, and fill them without rinsing so there's always a tiny bit of starsan in every bottle.

I've actually used it to sanitize my bike bottles after they've sat all winter, although I don't do it on a regular basis.

It also kills ants.

For brewers, the only things used are StarSan, Iodophor, bleach and boiling. None of the other things I've read in this thread would be sufficient, and most homebrewers stopped using bleach because the chlorine will leave a taste.

Last edited by zacster; 09-08-12 at 09:47 AM.
zacster is offline  
Reply
Old 09-08-12 | 10:39 AM
  #53  
MNBikeguy's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,834
Likes: 0
From: Minneapolis, MN

Bikes: 05 Trek 5200, 07 Trek 520, 99 GT Karakoram, 08 Surly 1X1

hmm. Not to get side tracked, but this sounds interesting. I might look into home brewing as another hobby.
MNBikeguy is offline  
Reply
Old 09-08-12 | 06:35 PM
  #54  
Senior Member
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 8,162
Likes: 647
From: Brooklyn NY

Bikes: Kuota Kredo/Chorus, Trek 7000 commuter, Trek 8000 MTB and a few others

Originally Posted by MNBikeguy
hmm. Not to get side tracked, but this sounds interesting. I might look into home brewing as another hobby.
It isn't as hard as you may think, just a little time consuming. I think you have Northern Brewer up your way too. They're probably the largest homebrew store on the planet.
zacster is offline  
Reply
Old 01-08-13 | 05:20 AM
  #55  
Zero_Enigma's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,766
Likes: 0
From: North of the 49th Parallel (GPS grid soon)

Bikes: MTB Peugoet Canyon (forgot the model), Nikishi? roadbike, MTB custom build,

Curious what if there is some bleach smell remaining after the camelbak dries will baking soda work for removing the bleach smell?
Zero_Enigma is offline  
Reply
Old 01-08-13 | 05:26 AM
  #56  
Burton's Avatar
Certified Bike Brat
 
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 4,251
Likes: 6
From: Montreal, Quebec
Originally Posted by Zero_Enigma
Curious what if there is some bleach smell remaining after the camelbak dries will baking soda work for removing the bleach smell?
Just dry it and air it out. Chlorine is used in city water filtration systems too. It'll evaporate if left standing.
Burton is offline  
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Iief
Commuting
9
04-16-13 10:01 PM
Western Flyer
Touring
46
01-31-13 11:18 AM
worldtraveller
Training & Nutrition
2
07-13-12 09:21 PM
fordmanvt
Training & Nutrition
10
05-19-11 09:51 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.