How to clean drinking bottles properly: 4 tips for shiny soulbottles

The advantages of your soulbottles are obvious: plastic-free, sustainably produced, and infinitely refillable. Plus, cleaning the drinking bottles is super easy—and important for preventing contamination and germs. Here's how to keep your soulbottles sparkling clean. And hey, it's even fun! Just brush and shake!

When it comes to hygiene, the first reflexive thought is: wash your hands! But regardless of the coronavirus, it's important not only to keep your hands clean, but also to give your everyday objects and everyday items a cleaning boost. This includes glasses and smartphones as well as your soulbottles glass drinking bottles . Why is cleaning your drinking bottle so important? Because drinking causes germs and bacteria to collect, especially on the mouthpiece, and these bacteria multiply continuously if we don't clean them. Therefore, if you use your drinking bottle every day and like to fill it with juice, coffee, or tea, you should clean it every day. But don't worry: Cleaning your soulbottle made of glass or stainless steel is really quick and easy. We've prepared 4 soulful tips and tricks for cleaning your drinking bottle.

Tip 1: Get in! Clean Soulbottles in the dishwasher

You can clean glass soulbottles in the dishwasher. The ceramic colors of our screen print are baked in and therefore dishwasher safe. And the soulbottle's bottle opening is not only super drinkable, it also ensures that enough water gets into the bottle. There is one limitation: The special colors of our gold and silver prints can fade over time. For example, the golden flower of life , which you can also see in the pictures. It's best to handwash these soulbottles.

And what's the best way to clean drinking bottles in the dishwasher? It's best to place your soulbottle upside down in the dishwasher. We recommend removing the swing top before the wash cycle and placing it separately in the dishwasher basket.

Tip for thrifty shoppers: You can really save CO₂, especially when cleaning your dishwasher – by using green electricity. A drinking bottle washed in a dishwasher powered by green electricity uses around 15 times less CO₂. Here you can find a list of the best green electricity providers .

CO₂eq indicates the greenhouse potential of a gas relative to CO₂. This article from utopia explains everything in detail.

Tip 2: Clean drinking bottles by hand and Soulbrush

Cleaning by hand is also really simple and works really well for all reusable stainless steel and glass bottles. Our custom-fit vegan soulbrush made from natural agave fibers is perfect for our soulbottles.

• Simply fill the drinking bottle with some hot water, add a mild dish soap, and close the lid. It should be really hot water to kill bacteria and germs. Note: Glass can withstand temperature differences of around 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). So, be sure to preheat it to avoid damage.
• Now it's time to shake it up and have a foam party.
• After emptying, it is also recommended to scrub the bottle with a soft brush.
• Then rinse with clean, hot water and let it dry thoroughly – or with a dishcloth. Make sure it's clean and dry.
• Or even better: Place the bottle upside down on a clean surface or a colander, preferably at a slight angle, so that air can get to it and the liquid can drain from the inside.

Important for all stainless steel bottles: If you use a sponge, be careful not to choose one that's too scratchy. Vigorous, prolonged cleaning of stainless steel bottles can damage the surface. And please never use a steel sponge on the Soulbottles Steel!

By the way: soulbottles and soulbrush are a true dream team, which is why we offer various models in sets at a special discounted price – such as the new soulbottle stainless steel drinking bottle gold & golden drinking cup . You can find all sets here in our online shop .

Tip 3: Shake it! Clean your drinking bottles with our cleaning beads

Did someone say shake? Our cleaning beads are getting all fidgety. These little stainless steel beads are designed for just that: They clean drinking bottles with a good shake. Here's how:

• Simply add a little hot tap water and the balls to your bottle.
• Put the lid on, then shake and make circular movements.
• Then, pour the cleaning beads over a fine sieve, rinse them, and spread them out on a clean kitchen towel to dry. This is important to prevent foreign particles from causing rust.
• Now rinse your soulbottle again without the pearls with hot water, including the mouthpiece – done.

Pro tip: If the dirt in your water bottle isn't completely gone or if you see signs of limescale, simply add a little vinegar or lemon juice while shaking the pearls. Too much vinegar, however, will damage the rubber seal, so it's best to use it only occasionally. If the rubber seal does become brittle, you can get a replacement here.

Tip 2 for thrifty shoppers: Based on a survey conducted in summer 2021, we found that this cleaning method uses the least energy and resources. So, if you care about the environment in addition to a really clean drinking bottle, we recommend this option.

Tip 4: Clean the porcelain lid and rubber seal of the Soulbottle

Properly cleaning your soulbottle also means: Don't forget to clean the lid ! The swing top is constantly in contact with the bottle opening, where bacteria from the mouth can collect. Moisture also collects between the rubber and the lid. So, every time you clean your drinking bottle, simply remove the sealing ring and wash the lid and rubber ring with a sponge or brush, hot water, and a little dish soap. You can also put the rubber seal in the freezer, for example, or soak it in vinegar overnight to get rid of odors.

Cleaning water bottles: Repeat please!

As you can see, keeping your soulbottle clean is pretty simple and should definitely be done regularly. Plastic bottles are generally more susceptible to bacteria on their plastic surfaces, but glass or stainless steel drinking bottles also require regular care. A survey of our soulfriends on soulbottle usage last fall revealed that most fill their soulbottles an average of 304 times a year and clean them 121 times a year. This means a thorough cleaning—as described above—should be done after every third use. That's a good start, and everyone has to find their own dynamic with their soulmate.

Sorry for the narrow-mindedness, but we still want you to clean your drinking bottles after every use, regardless of the model and material. This is especially important if you like to carry juice, tea, or coffee in your drinking bottle.

We have collected more tips for cleaning and caring for your soulbottle in our Help Center .

And what we must never forget: Especially in times of the coronavirus crisis, hygiene, access to drinking water, and safe sanitation are more important than ever! But not everyone has the luxury of being able to simply turn on the tap. That's why €1 for every soulbottle sold goes to our own drinking water and climate protection project WASH'n'soul in Zambia. To draw more attention to the water and WASH issues, we have launched a campaign: Water is Political. Here we explain why water is more than just a thirst quencher. Water concerns us all. You can read about exactly what we are planning and have already implemented with WASH'n'soul with our partners BORDA and Viva con Agua on the soulblog .

Do you have any secret tips for cleaning your soulbottle or other drinking bottles efficiently and conserving resources? Feel free to write to us on Instagram , Facebook , or at hello@soulbottles.com !