The Best Way To Thoroughly Clean Your Hydro Flask

Water is an essential component of body function, and the lack of water can cause some unwanted side effects, from mental fog to skin damage. As we learn how important water really is for health, more folks have started carrying water bottles to stay hydrated while avoiding reusable plastic bottles. According to CNN, one of the most popular stainless steel bottles in recent years has been the Hydro Flask. But did you know that despite being mostly only used for water and made from stainless steel, you need to wash your Hydro Flask regularly?

As it turns out, just giving your bottle a quick rinse every day and a thorough wash once every week is not enough. This is because even though stainless steel is more bacteria-resistant than other materials like plastic, it is not bacteria-proof and will still grow a biofilm of little microorganisms on the inside walls if not cleaned often, according to a professor of biomedical sciences in an interview with the Food Network. In fact, according to Hydro Flask's instructions, water bottles should be washed at least once a day to prevent bacteria growth, even if they are stainless steel. So, how do you properly clean your Hydro Flask?

According to the company, you can use three main methods to wash your Hydro Flask. The first is simply throwing it in the dishwasher. Fortunately, Hydro Flasks are dishwasher safe, and the easiest and most effective way to clean your bottle may just be to put all its parts (including the straw and lid) in the dishwasher every night to be rinsed with hot, bacteria-killing water and soap. 

However, what if you can't access a dishwasher because you are traveling or camping? Luckily, the following two methods can be used to clean your Hydro Flask even if there are no dishwashers nearby. The second method is simply washing your bottle with warm water and soap. The company recommends using its cleaning kit, which includes a wire brush and a straw cleaner to help you scrub in hard-to-reach crevices like inside the straw and around the lid.

The third and final method is perfect for when you are camping or thru-hiking and don't even have access to warm running water. In this situation, you can use Hydro Flask's cleaning tablets sold on the company website, specifically designed to kill bacteria with natural ingredients. To use, fill your bottle with water and add one tablet per liter, then wait for 30 minutes. When the time is up, rinse out the bottle your disinfected Hydro Flask is ready to go — no scrubbing required.

There may be a few things you didn't know about your water bottle, but if we had to guess, the fact that it needs to be cleaned every day was one of them. Even if you only ever put water in your Hydro Flask, the bacteria from your backwash and even from your hands will still get inside, along with mold particles that are naturally present in water and start growing via Livestrong. While many species of bacteria and waterborne mold are harmless, some can cause stomach problems, headaches, and tiredness. 

While severe sickness from an unwashed water bottle is unlikely, you might want to play it safe when you know just how dirty these water containers can get. In fact, according to USA Today, a recent study found that the average reusable water bottle contained more bacteria than the average pet water bowl many times over. So, maybe we should start washing both water bottles and pet bowls more often!