How to Clean a Sigg Drinking Bottle

When you went to the store to buy your bottle or ordered it online you probably noticed that Sigg sells cleaning materials exclusively for their bottles. You can either shell out the money and buy the brush and tablets or you can save yourself some cash by creating a cleaning kit of your own. This kit should include:

• Two cups of hot water (Do not boil the water be careful not to burn yourself!)
• One teaspoon of unscented dish soap for hand washing

OR

• One cup of table vinegar
• Half a cup of baking soda

AND

• An old toothbrush or a kitchen brush (Do not use the toothbrush you use for cleaning the sink.)

Obviously you can’t clean your Sigg bottle if it’s full of juice, Gatorade or another beverage. So go ahead and pour any remaining liquid down the sink, or if it’s not old, drink it. Remember, you need eight glasses a day after all.

If you’re using the Sigg brush and tablets, all you have to do to wash your bottle out and sanitize it is fill it up with hot water (again, not boiling) and drop one of the cleanings tablets in. The water will fizz up and tablet will do all the dirty work for you in just about half an hour. After the tablets have taken effect you can get out any stubborn spots by giving your bottle quick scrub with the Sigg bottle brush.

If you’re using your do it yourself water and soap kit, put your water and dish soap in a pitcher so you can easily pour it into the bottle’s small opening. If you don’t have a pitcher, just use a bowl and a small kitchen funnel (No, you don’t want a car funnel touching your water bottle). Mix about a quart of water together with one drop (about a half teaspoon) of dish soap by using your hands or a spoon. A lather will quickly form. Then pour the solution into the bottle, put the lid on, and shake it so the soap is evenly distributed. If you want, you can let it sit for a few minutes. But don’t leave it too long. Sigg bottles are not meant to hold hot liquids.

If you went for the vinegar and baking soda, you will want to be very careful when mixing these ingredients. Anyone who’s ever been to an elementary school science fair knows that they tend to foam up and make a mess. For that reason, use a bowl or pitcher that is much larger than you need. Pour the mixture into your Sigg bottle before the reaction has subsided. Believe it or not, it will help with the cleaning and sanitizing.

Sigg warns against putting their bottles in the dishwasher to clean them since the narrow opening could prevent the machine from hitting all surfaces of the bottle.

*You can purchase the Sigg bottle brush without buying the tablets. It can be a good thing to have since a typical kitchen brush or tooth brush will not fit into your Sigg bottle’s neck. Another brush that will work is one used to clean test tubes. However, unless you are a chemistry teacher, these may be hard to come by.

After the tablet has done its magic, rinse your bottle with lukewarm water. Or, after your dish soap or vinegar has done its magic, do the same. Make sure you get all of the cleaning solution out of your bottle or you will have some funky tasting beverages in your future.

You definitely want the lip of your bottle to be clean since this is the part that you put in your mouth. Simply washing the inside of the bottle will not cut it, since it will not make the outside any cleaner. You can wash the outside of your bottle using either the dish soap or vinegar method. Use that old toothbrush or kitchen brush to get into the grooves.

Since you can’t exactly stuff a towel inside your Sigg bottle you will have to leave this job up to good old Mother Nature. Set your bottle on the table or counter and just let it dry naturally. Be sure to leave the top off the bottle. If you’re worried about insects or dust making their way in, you can put it upside down in a dish drying rack.

While you’re waiting for your Sigg bottle to dry, you can wash the lid. Unlike your bottle, your lid can be put in the dishwasher. Just be sure to put it on the top rack so that it doesn’t melt, especially if it is plastic.

Alternately, you can give the lid a quick scrub with either of the cleaning solutions mentioned above. Just use that kitchen brush or old toothbrush again to get into any tight spots, like the hinge or carbinator hole. Dry it with a dish towel or paper towel, or what the hey, let it air dry too.

Sigg recommends at least rinsing your bottle with water and dish soap after each use. This is especially important if you are filling your bottle with a beverage besides water. It will help you avoid a sticky situation, not to mention that pesky bacteria issue.
Remember, whatever is on the edges or your Sigg bottle you are essentially putting in your body. Talk about a motivator to keep that bottle spotless.