How to clean a Nalgene Bottle
Nalgene bottles are built for years of hard use, and keeping one clean takes very little effort. They are dishwasher-safe! Whether you use yours for daily hydration, hillwalking or a weekend under canvas, here is how to keep it fresh, plus a simple fix for when a bottle picks up a stubborn smell.
The everyday clean
Nalgene bottles are dishwasher safe. For a standard wide or narrow mouth bottle, unscrew the cap, empty it, and place both the bottle and the cap on the top shelf of your dishwasher, away from the heating element. Run your normal cycle and it comes out ready for the next trip.
Prefer to wash by hand? Warm water, a little washing-up liquid and a bottle brush does the job just as well. A long-handled brush makes the base easy to reach.
Cleaning a tall Silo bottle
Larger bottles like the 1.5L Silo can be too tall for the top rack. Because a Nalgene is such a simple two-part design, you can rest the cap on the top shelf and stand the bottle on the bottom rack. It will handle a hot cycle without any trouble.
The deep clean for smells
Leave a splash of juice, coffee or last week's camp water sitting in a sealed bottle and it can start to smell. Here is the reliable way to bring it back:
- Fill the bottle around two thirds full with very warm water and add a few drops of household bleach.
- Screw the cap on, give it a good shake, then leave it to stand for about an hour.
- Use a bottle brush to scrub the inside of the bottle and the cap.
- Rinse very thoroughly, several times, until there is no trace of bleach smell.
If you would rather skip the bleach, a spoon of bicarbonate of soda in warm water, or a mix of warm water and white vinegar, will freshen most bottles. Leave it to soak, scrub, then rinse well. Effervescent bottle-cleaning tablets are another easy option.
Do not forget the cap and lid
The cap and threads are where residue and smells tend to hide, so give them the same attention as the bottle. Kids' bottles such as the On-the-Fly and Grip-N-Gulp have a valve in the lid that pops out for cleaning. You do not need to remove it every time, but when it needs a proper scrub you can pop it out and wash it by hand or on the top rack.
A few tips to make it last
- Keep it off the heating element. Position the bottle and cap away from the dishwasher element so nothing warps.
- Dry it open. Leave the cap off to air dry so moisture does not get trapped inside.
- Rinse daily, deep clean regularly. A quick rinse after each use, and a deeper clean every week or so, keeps any bottle fresh.
Shop Nalgene at Great Outdoors
We stock a wide range of Nalgene bottles and accessories in-store and online, from the classic wide mouth Sustain to insulated sleeves and carriers. You will find the full selection of bottles and flasks in our hydration collection. If you are unsure which size or style suits you, our team on George's Street in Dublin city centre is always happy to help.
