Tips For Choosing And Washing A Drinking Bottle So That It Does Not Smell

Illustration of a drinking bottle (Unsplash / Shrey Gupta)

JAKARTA - To avoid using disposable plastic drinking bottles, it is better to bring your own drinking bottle when traveling or doing activities outside the home. To make it durable and odorless when repeatedly filled with mineral water, follow the tips for choosing and caring for it properly.

Choosing a drinking bottle from among the hundreds of choices in the store is certainly not easy. Various choices of materials include plastic, glass and aluminum. For details, check the explanation of the advantages of each according to the types of beverage bottle ingredients below.

Plastic drinking bottles

Illustration of carrying a plastic bottle (Unsplash / Globelet Reusable)

Make sure when choosing a plastic drinking bottle labeled BPA-Free. This label means that the drinking bottle is Bisphenol A (BPA) free in its manufacture.

The chemical is BPA although more research on its effects is needed. Related to its effects, BPA can cause various health problems, such as birth defects, brain problems, reproductive disorders, decreased nerve function, and several types of cancer.

To choose the best plastic packaging, find the three-way arrow symbol with the number 5 written on it. This symbol indicates that it is made of polypropylene or PP type. This plastic will be tougher, lighter, and heat resistant even with limited temperature.

Plastic bottles bearing this symbol can be used multiple times, are safe to use and are easy to recycle. How do you get rid of plastic bottle odor when it's new?

You can wash plastic bottles with several ingredients to get rid of odors. You can use one of them, which includes coffee powder, dry tea leaves, salt, baking soda or lemon juice.

After washing with soap, place one of these ingredients on the surface of a plastic bottle. Leave it for 5 to 60 minutes. Finally, rinse thoroughly with normal temperature water.

Glass drinking bottle

Illustration of drinking glass bottle (Unsplash / Arisa Chattasa)

When compared to plastic drinking bottles, glass drinking bottles are safer. However, it breaks easily and weighs more than plastic. The advantage is that the glass bottle does not change the temperature and makes the water in it not easily contaminated with odors. That means, how to wash it is also easier than plastic drinking bottles.

The most important thing to consider when choosing a drinking bottle, choose one that has a wide neck circle. This will make it easier to wash them many times.

How to clean a glass drinking bottle is quite simple. Wash it off with soap, rub it gently, and rinse with clean running water. If there is a water crust because it has been used for a long time, it can be washed with rice grains mixed with detergent. It could also be a mixture of vinegar or lime.

Aluminum drinking bottle

Illustration of an aluminum bottle (Unsplash / Bluewater Globe)

According to Michael Moore, professor of toxicology at the University of Queensland, aluminum and stainless steel drinking bottles can release aluminum debris in water. This can be identified by the change in taste in the water you drink from the package. That means, plastic bottles and glass bottles are the main choices.

To wash and treat it so that it does not smell is to soak for a while in water mixed with a little soap. After soaking, shake it several times and rinse thoroughly.

Aluminum bottles after being used for containers of milk, coffee, tea, and other colored drinks will leave an odor. Remove it can be washed with warm water mixed with lemon juice or baking soda.

Avoid heating the bottle in the microwave, instead cleaning will actually damage the stainless or aluminum coating.