Is there a way to take apart the lid mechanism on the camelback bottles? I love riding with them don't have to hassle with opening and closing the lid, but since it requires pressure to force liquid through the valve, I wonder about how clean it really gets in a dish washer.

I just throw mine in the freezer, I doubt any bugs can survive being frozen over night.
Then I have 2 nice bottles ready for my rides in the morning.

if you're drinking water there is nothing more to be done than rinse the outside where your own funk is the main issue. if you put powders or other non-water liquids in them, just rinse the bottle with water, put the lid on, shake, and squeeze water out.

if freezing isn't enough for you, boil them in water.

There are brushes made for hydration packs that includes a small brush for cleaning the hose. This brush can also be used to clean a valve. You can minimize the need for cleaning by keeping the bottles in the refrigerator when not being used. Also, if you use Gatorade or other drinks that contain sugar, rinse out the bottle before putting it in the ref. I only use NUUN which contains no sugar and just put the bottle in the ref. This is another reason to use clear bottles. It's easier to seen anything growing in the bottle or cap.

I wondered the same thing when I got my podium chilljackets. Here's how to clean your bottle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eATl8ZPRp7g

Personally I'm too lazy so I dishwash and if I use something other than water (rarely) or they get very dirty otherwise then I pull the nipples.

Cheers,
Roby!

I try to clean them right after use with dishwashing soap and scrub brush. When they are too grungy, I make a dilute solution of bleach, soak the tops in that for a little bit, then scrub and rinse them.

Dishwasher. Of all things, this is something I just don't worry about.

try a q-tip and diluted bleach.

Yeah, they come apart. Use a butter knife to pop-up one side of the very top piece. Peel it off (it's a little tough). The little blue thing just pops out (note it goes in so the concave side is up). Soak in bleach and rinse. Put the blue thing on and the top piece just snaps back in. GL

Another option is plunk them in a small bowl and drop in a couple Efferdent tablets...

The problem is you can get mold in the spaces, and that will usually require some sort of brush to dislodge.

Now that the OP's question is answered.... Has anyone figured out how to use NUUN tablets with these bottles without having them "spit" occasionally? Seems like even if I let it sit until after it's done fizzing it continues to spit if the bottle is shaken or vibrates in the frame, and sometimes spits when I try to drink.

freezing doesn't kill molds.

I don't think dishwasher does either. The only way I can totally clean my camelbaks is to pop off the nipple, as shown in the above youtube video, and then scrub with a sponge or q-tip.

I use powder mix in my bottles, and don't seem to have any issue with contaminated bottles. The dishwasher seems to work for me. Perhaps it's because I live in a dry climate - Colorado. Then again, I haven't taken the nipple apart. But I haven't gotten sick from the bottles, so why worry?

I nuke all my water bottles with denture tablets every once in awhile. It's just a bleach tablet that neutralizes after ~15 minutes.

I don't think you need to get spastic about it. If the bottle tastes funny, you can always pop off the clear top part and clean the assembly.

quit being a germaphobe

10/1 water/bleach solution. Put all your tops in a container with a lid, fill container to the top and put on lid. Hour later all the funk is gone.

Agree. I rinse mine out and let them dry.