Replace water bottles even though they seem fine?
February 3, 2023 3:24 PM Subscribe
I recently heard that one is supposed to replace one's reusable water bottles every year or two -- plastic more often, stainless steel less often, I don't know about glass -- even if they seem fine. The plastic can degrade, something something stainless steel, something something bacteria growing. Truth or hooey?
It sounds like propaganda from Big Bottle, but when I asked Nalgene they said that they'd replace my water bottles under the lifetime guarantee. Their responses were vague and it isn't clear if they were confirming the "plastic degrades and bottles get cooties" theory or if they just are willing to replace bottles.
Let's presume these water bottles are used only for water, and are washed daily (or close to it).
It sounds like propaganda from Big Bottle, but when I asked Nalgene they said that they'd replace my water bottles under the lifetime guarantee. Their responses were vague and it isn't clear if they were confirming the "plastic degrades and bottles get cooties" theory or if they just are willing to replace bottles.
Let's presume these water bottles are used only for water, and are washed daily (or close to it).
Best answer: Here's an explainer from Clemson, with instructions on how to sanitize the bottle occasionally (with bleach or vinegar). It does note that opinions on the safety and durability of different plastics vary, and recommends keeping them out of excessive heat or prolonged direct sunlight.
Most of the health-blog content farm sites out there with clickbait on the topic all cite the same 2008 Arizona study of packaged bottled water in temperatures approximating a car trunk.
Nalgene might replace bottles upon any health-related inquiries as a holdover from the hit the brand took around the whole BPA furor.
posted by snuffleupagus at 3:42 PM on February 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
Most of the health-blog content farm sites out there with clickbait on the topic all cite the same 2008 Arizona study of packaged bottled water in temperatures approximating a car trunk.
Nalgene might replace bottles upon any health-related inquiries as a holdover from the hit the brand took around the whole BPA furor.
posted by snuffleupagus at 3:42 PM on February 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
I definitely haven't heard this idea before.
Assuming the plastic bottle is BPA-free, I would not expect either steel or plastic bottles to leach much of anything into water. Plastic might leech stuff into hot water (above, say 120F), or degrade based on environmental conditions as mentioned above, depending on the specific plastic formulation involved, but shouldn't do much for water at room temp or colder. I have a number of plastic polycarbonate contigo bottles going on a decade old at this point as well, so there's some more anecdata.
Steel especially should never be a problem, otherwise you'd have people recommending that you replace your steel cookware on a similar timeline, and since they typically deal with hot and acidic liquids they'd have an even better chance of leeching stuff into your food. Even for things like cast iron pans that do leech metal into foods (which, again, stainless steel shouldn't do to any significant degree), it's pretty benign stuff like iron (which you need some of in your diet anyway).
posted by Aleyn at 3:48 PM on February 3, 2023 [5 favorites]
Assuming the plastic bottle is BPA-free, I would not expect either steel or plastic bottles to leach much of anything into water. Plastic might leech stuff into hot water (above, say 120F), or degrade based on environmental conditions as mentioned above, depending on the specific plastic formulation involved, but shouldn't do much for water at room temp or colder. I have a number of plastic polycarbonate contigo bottles going on a decade old at this point as well, so there's some more anecdata.
Steel especially should never be a problem, otherwise you'd have people recommending that you replace your steel cookware on a similar timeline, and since they typically deal with hot and acidic liquids they'd have an even better chance of leeching stuff into your food. Even for things like cast iron pans that do leech metal into foods (which, again, stainless steel shouldn't do to any significant degree), it's pretty benign stuff like iron (which you need some of in your diet anyway).
posted by Aleyn at 3:48 PM on February 3, 2023 [5 favorites]
Bacteria, on the other hand, can be a problem no matter what you use, so cleaning them and/or sanitizing them from time to time is a good idea, even if you only use it for water.
posted by Aleyn at 3:52 PM on February 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by Aleyn at 3:52 PM on February 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
Plastic I could see in that it might be leeching something we'll only find out about later but glass and stainless steel ought to be good forever as far as I'm concerned. If the steel bottle were also an insulated vacuum flask then you may want to replace it for performance reasons at some point but it should still be safe to drink from.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 4:05 PM on February 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 4:05 PM on February 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
This is really baffling to me as well, especially for stainless steel and glass. I'd say you need to replace those about as often as you'd replace your silverware and drinking glasses because of bacteria (aka never). You should obviously wash them, and if they have mechanism that the water goes through that you can't disassemble and clean, you might want to replace those, but I can't think of any reason to replace the whole bottle.
posted by duien at 4:09 PM on February 3, 2023 [8 favorites]
posted by duien at 4:09 PM on February 3, 2023 [8 favorites]
I’m pretty sure that’s…not true. Stainless steel
Is used for kitchen sinks because it’s good, well, indefinitely. My parents have steel water bottles from when I was a kid and I’m pushing 50.
As for plastic - it does come in grades, such that the grade of plastic used for bottled water can’t be reused too many times. But the plastic used for actual designed-to-be-reused water bottles? Nah. Good forever, as long as you’re washing it thoroughly.
posted by Salamander at 4:44 PM on February 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
Is used for kitchen sinks because it’s good, well, indefinitely. My parents have steel water bottles from when I was a kid and I’m pushing 50.
As for plastic - it does come in grades, such that the grade of plastic used for bottled water can’t be reused too many times. But the plastic used for actual designed-to-be-reused water bottles? Nah. Good forever, as long as you’re washing it thoroughly.
posted by Salamander at 4:44 PM on February 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
My house - in a cold climate - is not insulated. I sleep with a hot water bottle, which was once a 3 liter Coke bottle. It's about thirty-five years old. It's still clear, has no scunge, and doesn't smell. I'd very happily drink water from it. I'm not sure what bacteria can live in plain water and eat plastic, but I'm not worried about them.
This sounds very much like someone trying to impress others with how hygienic they are, and sending perfectly useful stuff to landfills.
posted by AugustusCrunch at 8:19 PM on February 3, 2023
This sounds very much like someone trying to impress others with how hygienic they are, and sending perfectly useful stuff to landfills.
posted by AugustusCrunch at 8:19 PM on February 3, 2023
The plastic water bottles that bottled water comes in should not be reused even once - because chemicals leach into the water from the plastic.
Reusable water bottles made from plastic are made from a different kind of plastic, so should be fine as long as you run them through the dishwasher regularly or clean them with Milton's sanitising tablets.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 9:03 PM on February 3, 2023
Reusable water bottles made from plastic are made from a different kind of plastic, so should be fine as long as you run them through the dishwasher regularly or clean them with Milton's sanitising tablets.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 9:03 PM on February 3, 2023
any portmanteau in a storm: If the steel bottle were also an insulated vacuum flask
I wouldn't even worry about the performance of a thermos flask with an actual double-walled-glass-vacuum inner bottle degrading; it's not something I've ever noticed anyway. And the stainless steel outer-plus-inner bottles I have don't appear to have a vacuum between the outer and inner, relying instead on the poor thermal transmission properties of stainless steel.
posted by Stoneshop at 5:58 AM on February 4, 2023
I wouldn't even worry about the performance of a thermos flask with an actual double-walled-glass-vacuum inner bottle degrading; it's not something I've ever noticed anyway. And the stainless steel outer-plus-inner bottles I have don't appear to have a vacuum between the outer and inner, relying instead on the poor thermal transmission properties of stainless steel.
posted by Stoneshop at 5:58 AM on February 4, 2023
Hooey.
Anecdotal, but I work in labs with viruses and bacteria and all sorts of nasty solvents and materials that stubbornly cling to containers. There's a best practice for every material, and good practices for almost all materials. I can imagine some plastics being verboten for cross applications, but steel and glass are used for years, if not decades, in incredibly sensitive lab scenarios without worry.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 9:49 AM on February 4, 2023 [3 favorites]
Anecdotal, but I work in labs with viruses and bacteria and all sorts of nasty solvents and materials that stubbornly cling to containers. There's a best practice for every material, and good practices for almost all materials. I can imagine some plastics being verboten for cross applications, but steel and glass are used for years, if not decades, in incredibly sensitive lab scenarios without worry.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 9:49 AM on February 4, 2023 [3 favorites]
Hooey.
Container-maker propaganda; they want you to buy their stuff and then throw it out (of course!)
posted by Rash at 10:16 AM on February 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
Container-maker propaganda; they want you to buy their stuff and then throw it out (of course!)
posted by Rash at 10:16 AM on February 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
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Anecdotes aren't data but I have nalgenes older than your children and I haven't died yet, not even once.
posted by phunniemee at 3:30 PM on February 3, 2023 [23 favorites]