Caring for Stainless Steel Water Bottles
Posted on Sunday, April 19, 2009 by bbb-admin
After a disappointing discovery the other day, that there was rust at the bottom of my daughter’s Klean Kanteen water bottle, I called the manufacturer and got a great lesson in stainless steel water bottle care. Turns out the rust was my fault so I thought I would post this so no one else does what I did.
While Stainless Steel is supposed to be…well…stainless. It turns out that while it is resistant to rusting, it can indeed rust under the right circumstances. If you leave water in your bottle for an extended period of time, if you leave juice in your bottle for an extended period of time, if you don’t dry your bottle right away after washing, these are all ways to get rust spots. I got mine from a bottle that rolled under the front seat of the car and spent a warm day with juice in it. Oops.
Here are some tips for caring for your stainless steel water bottle:
1) Care for a new bottle- When you get a brand new stainless bottle, a great trick to get rid of the metallic taste is to soak it in water and vinegar overnight at a 50-50 ratio. The vinegar will prevent rusting.
2) The best cleaning products for a stainless steel water bottle include distilled vinegar or baking soda.
3)To clean those hard-to-reach parts of your bottle, put in raw rice and vinegar and shake well.
4) Never use anything abrasive to clean a stainless water bottle such as a stiff brush, an SOS pad or even some microfibres as they can scratch the bottle.
5) Never leave water and especially juice or soda in your bottle for an extended period of time as it can cause rusting.
If you find that your bottle has some rust spots, obviously you don’t want to use the commonly used chemical cleaners you find at the store since you will be drinking out of it. Here is a recipe of common household supplies that you can try:
1) Fill your sink with warm water, and add a cup of baking soda. Place the bottle in the sink and let it soak for several hours. Overnight would be a good time.
2) Mix a 1/4 cup of cream of tartar with two teaspoons of lemon juice in a bowl. Stir into a paste.
3) Apply the cream of tartar paste to your bottle using a soft toothbrush. Scrub gently on the rust spots to avoid scratching the stainless steel.
4) Rinse your bottle using the baking soda and water solution. If the bottle is badly stained, you may want to let it soak again after you have scrubbed it.
5) Wipe any remaining rust away using a wet paper towel, and then dry the bottle until it shines, using a soft rag or polishing cloth.
I got this recipe from ehow.com. It was for flatware but it worked well on the bottle.
Happy drinking!
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WOW!! Thank you for the information.
I don't understand why a "water bottle" would rust if you leave water in it. Isn't holding water for extended periods of time its primary function?
I'm also confused about the juice. They told you not to leave juice in the bottle or it can rust, but you were also told to clean rust spots with lemon juice?
yes, of course the primary function of a water bottle is to carry water however stainless steel bottles are not meant to do so for extended periods of time. They are still made of steel which can rust with excessive exposure. The "stainless" part can only hold up for so long. That is why it is important to dry out your bottle everyday if you want it to last a long time.
The lemon juice and baking soda paste is a remedy for rust spots as it creates an abrasive cleaner which removes the spots. The lemon juice increases the cleaning power of the baking soda. This is a lot different that leaving juice in the bottle for three days straight. It is rinsed immediately. Juice is highly acidic and will eat away at the stainless steel very quickly. A quick wipe will not.
Hope that helps.
hi. is it safe to wash it in dish washer?
Hi. Rusting also depends on the “type” of stainless steel. Alot of bottles say stainless steel on them, but there are different qualities. My husband works with steel, so I know about this stuff (hee hee).
The high quality bottles are made of 18/8 stainless steel. This means it’s made of 18% chromium (which is for the hardness/durability) and 8% nickel (which is there to protect against corrosion/rusting). It’s the type of stainless that restaurant kitchens and sinks are made of. It’s the good stuff!!
The cheap bottles will probably just say “stainless steel” on them — and will probably be made of 18/0 stainless (meaning that there is no nickel); also meaning that they will eventually rust!
So I would say to stick with the good quality 18/8 stainless. The top ones out there seem to be either Klean Kanteens or FOF bottles. We bought 4 FOF bottles (better price) and love them.
Hi Julie,
Thanks for the comments regarding stainless steel bottles. The different ratios can be a little bit confusing and we appreciate you clarifying for our readers what the numbers represent. I do have to disagree with you, though, about the better quality bottles being 18/8, as opposed to 18/0 because some health experts are questioning the safety of overexposure to nickel. The Watergeeks have made it their mission to provide the safest possible drinking vessels and have thus made the decision to build their bottles out of 18/0 steel, rather than the more “stainless” 18/8. I personally alternate between my Klean Kanteen and Watergeeks bottles. Can’t hurt, right?!