how often do you change your cycling bidon

[Semar]

Bidons aren't PET. They may ooze other chemicals though.

I only use wide mouth ones that can be scrubbed.

[Mulger bill]

Pretty sure that my polypropylene bottles don't leach anything, at least not according to the first page of Google.

Can't say I've ever noticed any gunge buildup either.

[roobab]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eATl8ZPRp7g

[PeterC]

I have kids....mine disapear all the time...occasionally they reappear in the lost property bin at school...

Yes exactly.

I've tried 2 of the bottles that are supposed to be food grade, from Torpedo 7. But both of them have lasted a couple of months and then split. The plastic is too brittle. I suppose that's what those nasty chemicals are supposed to do, make the plastic more pliable.

I've also heard, though don't know how true it is, that as the bottle heats up the chemical leach out of the plastic worse. So I try and make sure that mine don't sit in the car/sun too much and get hot for this reason.

[HappyHumber]

I've got a bottle I got with a bike I bought in 1996. It had a Rockshox logo on it, but that's long since worn off. The bike itself has long since worn out, been scavenged for parts and the remains turfed

Beyond basic rinsing, I only recently managed to properly clean that bottle and it's younger siblings for the first time, using some sterilising denture soak tablets. Perhaps surprisingly enough, there was none of the primordial oozey gunk described around the nozzle as experienced by some. But I have never used energy drinks in them... just plain old H20

Oh and a tip for bladders out of camelbaks etc; rinse after use and remove as much water as possible from the tube & valves (Just blow 'em out with a lungful of air) and keep in the freezer between uses. I have one that looks as good as new after 4 years seasonal MTB use.

[khendar]

I'm guessing there's no reason why you can't use dilute hydrogen peroxide to sanitise your bottles ? Its used in homebrewing as a no-rinse sanitiser, as it breaks down spontaneously into water and oxygen.

[eeksll]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eATl8ZPRp7g

true that cleans half of it, but what about the part beneath the blue valve part? But still better than the normal ones. I use the podium bottles. and uses a small bottle brush shoved straight into the valve. I also have enough of them to let them dry out quite often.

I had a normal bottle i used for years, I accidently yanked off the rubber nozzle .... mmmmm brown gunk build up I went on a bit of a OCD episode and pulled them all off and cleaned them all with a toothbrush. Threw them out not long after.

For the paranoid you can get Milton tablets to sterilise the lids

[Semar]

I call the blue rubber mouth piece on my CB bottles 'the nipple'. I do what the ugly bearded guy says with soap.

[HLC]

I rinse my camelbak bidons out occasionally... Usually have Gatorade in them.

Never noticed scungy build up or anything. BUT like my camelbak bladder, I keep them in the freezer to stop the nasty stuff growing! Although this thread has got me scared and they are now soaking on boiling hot water/detergent lol!

[PA]

Always pick some freebie bottles up at the Tour Down Under. If you don't grab them they will hit you! The Skoda ones from 2011 are the best ones and this years Santos come second.

My Camelback bladders I always leave in freezer until the wife want's more space and takes them out.

[Bentnose]

Found my 3 year old bottle was full of black mould, hadn't noticed it for a while. Bleach wouldn't remove, ended up using triple strength sodium percarbonate in hot water, it left my jug really clean as well. The bottle will last for years yet, just a matter of getting rid of the gunk.

[Rex]

Found my 3 year old bottle was full of black mould, hadn't noticed it for a while. Bleach wouldn't remove, ended up using triple strength sodium percarbonate in hot water, it left my jug really clean as well. The bottle will last for years yet, just a matter of getting rid of the gunk.

Where do I find this stuff?

My Camelback have black mould inside them and we can't remove it.

[Leiothrix]

http://beerbelly.com.au/cleaning.html

Or failing that get some no name unscented napisan and rinse really well. The napisan has about 30% sodium percarbonate in it along with fillers, detergents and other things.

[Parrott]

I only ever rinse them now and then. When it develops black mould inside I just scrub with dishwashing detergent and a bottle brush. No worries haven't got sick yet.

I reckon all you fastidious bottle sterilisers have a bit of Obsessive Cleaning Disorder going on there

[kyap]

Milton baby bottle thingy...clean it every fornight or once a month if less riding.

After finish riding, dilute Milton thingy with water in small container, chuck in the mouth piece bottle in there and let it soak. Next day rinse it before next ride = clean bottle!

Around $5 Coles for 1L. Use it for ages. Tummy ok so far

[Wayfarer]

One tuesday afternoon, a bottle popped outta its cage and went straight down a gutter - perfect timing. Too deep to get it out. That weekend, my girlfriend figured out a way to get a fishing line around the middle of the bottle, and reel it out, so she stood watch for cars, and i fished it out. Funny thing was, the water inside of the camelbak podium still tasted like tap water - no plastic taste like those crappy free bottles you get. It's right next to me now, still all good mate. Only time i ever replaced one, i left powerade in it for about a month, and it started to grow mould inside it.

[zozza]

One tuesday afternoon, a bottle popped outta its cage and went straight down a gutter - perfect timing. Too deep to get it out. That weekend, my girlfriend figured out a way to get a fishing line around the middle of the bottle, and reel it out, so she stood watch for cars, and i fished it out. Funny thing was, the water inside of the camelbak podium still tasted like tap water - no plastic taste like those crappy free bottles you get. It's right next to me now, still all good mate. Only time i ever replaced one, i left powerade in it for about a month, and it started to grow mould inside it.

LOL

You drank the water?

It was down a drain for 5 days, not the healthiest of environments

[hosko]

I thought you should always look for BPA Free bottles. The tend to last with a good washing out and they are not supposed to leech.

[Wayfarer]

LOL

You drank the water?

It was down a drain for 5 days, not the healthiest of environments

It was all good mate, great way to test whether camelbak's really did have no taste Just don't invite me out for coffee though; i won't touch that devilish poison.

[Bentnose]

Found my 3 year old bottle was full of black mould, hadn't noticed it for a while. Bleach wouldn't remove, ended up using triple strength sodium percarbonate in hot water, it left my jug really clean as well. The bottle will last for years yet, just a matter of getting rid of the gunk.

Where do I find this stuff?

My Camelback have black mould inside them and we can't remove it.

As Leiothrix said, any homebrew shop will have, I found it works best when it is still fizzy, desolves well in boiling water, though I wouldn't put boiling water in a camel back, I tried that once and the tube seperated from the bladder, just try the hottest tap water you can and sodium percarbonate. Maybe put the powder in the bladder first then the water and a good shake. Leave the end off the tube or your bladder might explode, SP expands exponentially. I couldn't get it to clean out my camelback tube and managed to find the tube brush I'd lost years ago, that got rid of all of the black mould in the tube.

I wouldn't use Napisan though, it contains lots of other chemicals that aren't good for you and it doesn't rinse so well. Pure sodium percarbonate just needs a quick rinse.