How To Remove Smell From Plastic Water Bottle? | 5 Easy Methods

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Written By John Roe Stephen

Is your plastic water bottle smelling soar and not making your mood to drink water from it anymore? You may wanna just throw it away and buy a new one. Or you can learn how to remove smell from plastic water bottle if you have landed on this page. Yes, that’s possible that even the worst stinking water bottle can be used again if you can remove all that bad smell. But learning how to do it through some proper methods is always the most fundamental thing.

In case you have made it your mission to remove smells from your plastic water bottle and use it again, please keep reading this article till the end. Let’s not waste time and start this conversation!

Why Does A Plastic Water Bottle Smell Bad?

Find your water bottle made from plastic or any other reusable water bottle such as that one made from stainless steel smelling. You should know the possible reasons behind that happening.

Smells from water bottles are very frustrating. Because it leads you towards several negative thoughts about that water bottle.

But until and unless you know all those methods that provide consistent cleaning and complete removal of these smells from the bottles, you are good to go.

In this case, the following might be why your water bottle made from plastic or stainless steel smells bad.

  • Smells start coming from water bottles if they are not stored correctly.
  • These smells result from improper and low cleaning methods on these plastic water bottles.
  • Suppose a plastic water bottle or any other reusable bottle is smelling. In that case, that’s because there is a huge bacterial or Fungai growth.
  • And these smells could be why placing or keeping your water bottles not properly cleaned over the long run.
  • These all result in making your plastic or any other water bottle smell worse, which could stop your drinking water from anymore.

Can You Really Remove Smells From A Plastic Water Bottle?

Yes, it is totally possible removing these bad smells or odors from your water bottle made from plastic or any other material.

But for that, you must learn all those methods that help you do something like this. Please keep reading until you have made this thing possible.

Read more about plastic water bottles into our plastic water bottle-buyer guide and get to know everything that matters!

5 Significant Ways For Removing Odors From Plastic Water Bottles:

In short, I have collected 5 best methods you can use one by one to ensure that your reusable plastic water bottle never smells bad. Please have a look at those methods. These are as follows.

Method 1: Using Soap And Water Bottle Brush To Clean A Plastic Water Bottle: 

The classical cleaning method is the first thing or solution to remove the smell from a plastic water bottle.

This includes using soap and water to clean a water bottle properly. Please follow the steps below to learn how to clean a smelly plastic water bottle with soap?

  • At first, open the lid of your plastic or any reusable water bottle you carry.
  • Enter some water into it. Then take a bowl and mix soap with water into it. When you have a solution, could you insert it into the water bottle?
  • Close the bottle with its cap and shake it with more force.
  • Once done, use a water bottle cleaning brush to clean every inch of the water bottle from the inner side. However, this brush type is only required when your water bottle has a narrow opening.
  • Now, clean the water bottle with clean water and let it dry for a while.
  • Take it closer to your nose and smell it to find out whether it is fresh or still stinking bad. Go for the next step if there is still odor coming from it.

Method 2: Dishwasher Washing Of Water Bottle:

In case you have a heavy-duty built plastic water bottle or a stainless steel water bottle which is dishwasher safe, cleaning would be a lot easier than you can imagine. For this, do the following things.

  • Open the lid of your water bottle and try putting that water bottle into the dishwasher.
  • Go for a full “hot” cycle. When that water bottle passes through high temperatures and stronger dishwasher detergents, it will be cleaned out fully.
  • However, go for the next step if it is still that same funky water bottle.

Pro Tip: Please don’t consider putting a plastic water bottle in a dishwasher for a hot cycle. Because most plastic water bottles start melting under high temperatures.

Method 3: Try Using Hot Boiling Water:

Most probably, if that plastic water bottle is made from plastic materials such as PET, HDPE, or PP, it will not be affected by hot temperatures.

In that case, you can even use hot water to remove bad smells from that water bottle. Follow the steps below to perform something like that.

  • Suppose that the dishwasher method was not quite useful. If you don’t have a dishwasher at home, trying this hot water method is all worth it. It is usually recommended for stainless steel water bottles.
  • Please take some hot water or boil it in a cattle. Now open the lid of that water bottle and pour this hot water into it.
  • Once this is done, let the water bottle sit overnight.
  • Now, you can use soap to wash it properly so that you may attain the original smell of your water bottle instead of that bad one.

Method 4: Use Detergent Or Washing Liquid To Remove Odors From A Plastic Water Bottle:

This method is somewhat similar to soap cleaning a smelly water bottle. Therefore, follow the steps below to learn this method completely.

  • At first, take detergent or that washing liquid and mix it with the water as you do for cleaning dishes. Or sometimes clothes.
  • Take this solution in a bowl and use any sponge as well. Pour a little quantity of this solution into the water bottle. Close the lid and shake the water bottle forcefully.
  • After that, use clean water and remove that liquid from the water bottle. Consider using a brush as well if your hand cannot reach inside the water bottle for a definite cleaning.
  • When this is done, soak out the extra water and let the water bottle dry for a while.
  • You will see that the smells have been completely removed from that water bottle. But if not, there is still something that you can do!

Method 5: Using White Vinegar To Remove Smells Out From A Plastic Water Bottle:

Even if you have applied all the steps above and the water bottles still smell bad, you should be worried.

But I think you should not as there is still a pretty good thing you can do. Have you heard of using white vinegar solution to remove smells from water bottles?

Well, that’s how it is going to happen!

  • Take that smelly water bottle in your hand and fill it with white vinegar. Now, leave it for soaking overnight.
  • When the dawn has arrived, pick up that water bottle and clean it with soap and fresh water. This will defiantly remove all bad smells from the plastic water bottle.
  • However, you may find the water bottle has a vinegar smell for a while. But it will also disappear soon. This way, you will protect yourself from letting those bad smells enter your nose.

Final Thoughts:

Lastly, I can say that if you have read all these methods for understanding and learning how to remove smell from plastic water bottle, you are good to go. Apply any of these methods and see if it helps remove odors from a water bottle. However, if you find yourself disturbed or confused at any point, please do let me know. I am here to solve your queries and provide you with the answers.

In the end, I would like to thank you for your time and energy. Take good care of yourself and always drink from a highly cleaned and fresh water bottle. Have a great day!

References:

https://www.mdpi.com/332894

https://www.scientific.net/AMM.854.87

https://search.proquest.com/openview/845e0d2490a45564b7394a56765f7190/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y

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