Cleaning hacks: The pantry staple an expert says you should be using to deep clean your mouldy drink bottle

Drink bottles are one of those items that don’t get cleaned often enough and it when they do get washed it’s never as thoroughly as it needs to be.

And that’s a recipe for mould and mildew to grow inside your water bottle and no one wants to be drinking that.

There is a simple way to remove that residue and to prevent it building up in the first place by giving it a deep clean using a pantry staple.

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According to Ruben Peters, an expert from drink bottle brand Flaske, all you need is some uncooked rice, washing up detergent and water.

“Add half a cup of water, a tablespoon of uncooked rice, and a tiny squirt of washing-up liquid,” he told the Daily Express.

“Put the cap on and shake the bottle, the rice will take off most residue. After, rinse the bottle with hot water, making sure that all the rice comes out.”

Rice is effective for cleaning water bottles because the grains are gently abrasive so they give the inside a good scrub to remove residue.

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If you’re not keen on using rice another option is denture tablets. You can pop one of these in your water bottle, add hot water (or warm if you bottle is plastic) and leave it to soak for 20 minutes.

When the time is up tip the water out, rinse the bottle and leave to dry.

The denture tablet hack is thought to be particularly useful for removing bad odours from drink bottles.

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In between deep cleans water bottles should be cleaned daily with hot soapy water and can be incorporated into your washing up after dinner and left to dry overnight.

A bottlebrush scrubbing brush is great for scrubbing the inside and reaching all the way to the bottom of the bottle.

You should also use a straw cleaner brush when cleaning water bottles as residue can also build up inside straws and spouts, particularly if you wear lip balm or lipstick.

Drying them thoroughly is hugely important because if they are stored in a cupboard with moisture remaining in them mould and mildew is likely to grow and odours can develop.

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To help the drying process use a drying rack that allows airflow in the drink bottle when you place it upside down to dry. If you can remove the straw from the lid and rest it on an angle so water can flow out that will help speed up the process.

The next morning give the water bottle lid a shake to see if water is still remaining in the nooks and crannies and if there is, leave it out to dry for longer.

The same goes for straws which can be popped in a large plastic cup or bowl on an angle to allow air to flow through and dry out any remaining water droplets.

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