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Plastic Water Bottle Reeks!

ValerieMartini2Olives
ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
edited December 2024 in Chit-Chat
My friend gave me a mountain bike that has been sitting in her garage for 2 years. It has a frame cup holder with water bottle. I scrubbed everything down but the water bottle REEKS! It smells like... well... a plastic water bottle that has been sitting in the garage for 2 years. I have washed this thing probably 6 times and the smell well just not go away. It seems like it has subsided just a bit but if I were to drink water out of it, the smell would be overwhelming.

So, is there any hope for this thing? Or just throw it away?

Replies

  • Jain
    Jain Posts: 861 Member
    Soak it in the steraliser (sp) you get for babys bottles. I do this all the time with my water bottle for the gym, works a treat.
  • Genericwit
    Genericwit Posts: 70 Member
    Honestly, I would throw it away. If it smells, there's a reason that it smells. And even if you can't smell it anymore, do you really want to be drinking what created that smell?

    To use an extreme example here, would you eat rotting meat? Even if you can Febreze away the stench/cover it up with spices, would you still eat it?
  • kikiboniki
    kikiboniki Posts: 398 Member
    lemon juice and baking soda. make a paste of it. rub it on... leave it for a bit. rinse it out. I did this to a stinky fridge and it worked =)
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    Water bottles cost like $2.
  • skinyZ
    skinyZ Posts: 89 Member
    throw it.
  • aki7chien
    aki7chien Posts: 85 Member
    Recycle it and get a new cute one. I would get a Hello Kitty one myself. ;-)
  • MissC787
    MissC787 Posts: 175 Member
    Try washing it in vinagar, and then rewash it with soap.
  • Kathy53925
    Kathy53925 Posts: 241 Member
    I'd likely toss it, but vinegar is supposed to cut the smells too.
  • mfp_junkie
    mfp_junkie Posts: 359
    Pre or post BPH water bottle?

    Don't know the answer? Throw it away, and buy a new one - BPH / Bisphenol A free.

    Enjoy the biking!
  • Jersey_Devil
    Jersey_Devil Posts: 4,142 Member
    umm, is this for real? lol. You got a bike for free. You can go to the dollar store and get a water bottle...hell, buy two.
  • saragato
    saragato Posts: 1,154
    Even if you could disinfect/wash it, you don't know the source of that smell. It could be the plastic, could be something that was in the garage at some point that seeped into the plastic, could've been whatever they used to fill the bottle with and didn't clean it well. Personally I wouldn't be comfortable using it. It's got a history and one you don't know.

    Water bottles, as mentioned, are cheap as hell these days. Just buy another one or use one you might already have. It's not going to hurt anyone's feelings.
  • jsidel126
    jsidel126 Posts: 694 Member
    Buy a case of water bottles at the grocery store. Per bottle they don't cost much. Replace daily or weekly...
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
    I go growin' roses in disarray. So lift it ^
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    That's disgusting. Throw it out, buy a new bottle. Bottles aren't that expensive.
  • FitLink
    FitLink Posts: 1,317 Member
    My friend gave me a mountain bike that has been sitting in her garage for 2 years. It has a frame cup holder with water bottle. I scrubbed everything down but the water bottle REEKS! It smells like... well... a plastic water bottle that has been sitting in the garage for 2 years. I have washed this thing probably 6 times and the smell well just not go away. It seems like it has subsided just a bit but if I were to drink water out of it, the smell would be overwhelming.

    So, is there any hope for this thing? Or just throw it away?

    Baking soda. Fill it with hot water with a little baking soda and let it sit overnight. Baking soda will get rid of most smells. If this doesn't do it, I'd give up. Plastic holds on to smells and stains.
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
    Man some of you are vicious. I realize I got a free bike and I realize water bottles are not expensive. It was just a question. I don't like letting things go to waste so if I can salvage it, I will. No need to get all snarky.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    It's nasty, ok? You don't keep funky old plastic bottles for years and years. It is gross.
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
    Allllll right. It's going in the garbage. Thank you every one.
  • reddi2roll
    reddi2roll Posts: 356 Member
    Pre or post BPH water bottle?

    Don't know the answer? Throw it away, and buy a new one - BPH / Bisphenol A free.

    Enjoy the biking!

    Plastic is bad on all counts. Try to find a glass one. I have one from Anchor Hocking that is double walled and I found a sleeve to go over it that protects it. BPH and other chemicals in plastic are not healthy and especially if you reuse the container.
  • ComicBookGeekGirl
    ComicBookGeekGirl Posts: 202
    Plastic is bad on all counts. Try to find a glass one. I have one from Anchor Hocking that is double walled and I found a sleeve to go over it that protects it. BPH and other chemicals in plastic are not healthy and especially if you reuse the container.
    This! Glass, Aluminum, stainless steel, or one of those nice thick polycarbonate bottles would be a better choice and easier to keep clean. The metal ones come with a nice clip you can attach to your bike. I do notice that sometimes the rim can catch an oder, so make sure you clean the outside of it as much as you clean the inside of it.
  • mfp_junkie
    mfp_junkie Posts: 359
    Plastic is bad on all counts. Try to find a glass one. I have one from Anchor Hocking that is double walled and I found a sleeve to go over it that protects it. BPH and other chemicals in plastic are not healthy and especially if you reuse the container.
    This! Glass, Aluminum, stainless steel, or one of those nice thick polycarbonate bottles would be a better choice and easier to keep clean. The metal ones come with a nice clip you can attach to your bike. I do notice that sometimes the rim can catch an oder, so make sure you clean the outside of it as much as you clean the inside of it.

    Yup, I bought a nice stainless steel one. Works like a charm and no funky smells!
This discussion has been closed.

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