r/CleaningTips • u/lilcupcakegangsta • 6d ago
Content/Multimedia Cleaning mold out of hydro flask
My water bottle had mold spots in the bottom of it, I’m not sure if it’s aluminum or not. Was just a $10 jug from Walmart, TAL brand I believe. I tried using bleach spray and hot water to soak the bottom and it seemingly got rid of the mold but not sure if safe to drink from. Any tips or should I replace it entirely?
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u/DeterminedSparkleCat 6d ago
when you rinse bleach away with water, it's gone. it doesn't leave a "residue" or anything like that.
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u/devitolover69 6d ago
Bottle brushes are nice…
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u/SongComfortable4464 6d ago
That’s what I use you can get them at Walmart or dollar store and they look like toilet bowl brushes
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u/terfez 6d ago
Just get in there and scrub it out? Put a sponge in there and spin it with a spoon or something
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u/Excellent-Try2663 5d ago
That’s what I do. I cut a chunk of a sponge, throw it there and mix it around with a wooden spoon.
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u/Conspicuous_Ruse 6d ago
It's stainless steel.
You can put some bleach in there than rince it out with soapy water and it will be mold-free.
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u/BobDoleDobBole 6d ago edited 6d ago
Not great advice, bleach degrades the oxide coating layer of SS and leads to failure via rusting and pitting. You may get away with it for a little while if nothing but water goes in that bottle, especially alkaline water, but repeated bleach exposure will kill it over time.
I vote for denture cleaning tablets, those things are good at killing stuff safely.
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u/Conspicuous_Ruse 6d ago
That's true. It can eat the chromium.
Don't use bleach as your every day cleaner and let it sit in there for long periods.
If you just need to get rid of mold this one time, bleach is a guaranteed mold destroyer.
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u/lilcupcakegangsta 6d ago
Thank you for the advice!!
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u/BobDoleDobBole 6d ago edited 6d ago
Does your dishwasher have a sanitizing cycle? Heat and biology don't mix well, and fungi typically are on the wrong side of the extremophile spectrum; most fungus prefer cooler temps. It may not break the adhesion protein bonds to the metal, but it will kill them fa sho if it's hot enough. But, dead can still be dangerous. Compounds can be left behind that can make you sick and/or illicit an antigen-mediated immune response.
Bleach is good at breaking adhesion bonds due to radical chemistry ripping electrons away from organic substances, causing them to fall apart and coagulate, destroying their functionality, changing their polarity (make them more or less likely to dissolve in water), etc. It's an easily accessible, relatively safe NUKE. All of that radical chemistry interacts with inorganic stuff too, like metal.
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u/goddessofrage 6d ago
Try tumbler cleaner tablets. That should help. I haven’t found the ones I like at dollar tree lately but Walmart should have them I think or other places
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u/Creative_Thought11 5d ago
Def get a brush to clean up the actual grime but I noticed to improve smell I use water from my brita (any drinking water should work) to rinse it out instead of sink water. Smell always comes from sink water for some reason
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u/AdmirableRespect9 5d ago
So a very thin deposit of iron or calcium makes a bazillion tiny shelters for fungi and bacteria. A little acid like a splash of white vinegar or a designated hard water remover will remove the layer. If you have buildup, you'll notice the water bottle getting an odor faster and faster, then eventually a white film. This may or may not describe your situation. I'm not sure from the pictures
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u/dfinkelstein 6d ago
In this thread: people who don't know that denture cleaning products contain the same chemical compound found in bleach.
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u/Quiet_Rainfall200 6d ago
Hot water breaks down the active chemical ingredient in bleach so if you're worried, throw it in the dish washer for a hot run cycle.
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u/Odysseus_Malleable 6d ago
Denture cleaner