Re-using Water Bottles

[Nepal4me]

Anybody out there know about storing water bottles? I'm talking about the .5 or 1 or 1.5 liter water bottles you'd buy at 7/11 or wherever. I often re use water bottles, I'll grab one that has been sitting in my cupboard for possibly an extended period of time, weeks or possibly even months. Normally there are a few water bottles that just get put in the cupboard and left there because they're handy to take to the gym or wherever. There would generally be a bit of water left in the bottle when they're put in the cupboard so with the heat in BKK, I'm wondering if bacteria could be generated that might cause a health problem.

I'm not referring to bottles that ever held anything other than water.

Thanks

[londonthai]

if you are doing it and it's fine - than no problem.

I do buy 25 litre bottles for 20 baht and than keep a few littres in plastuc bottles in the fridge, ready to go

[Neeranam]

Sell the old ones and but new ones for 10 baht or so.

Nearly as tight as my grandmother photo below.

Edited September 13, 2007 by Neeranam

[colino]

we re use our bottles all the time i buy the big 25 litre bottles for 10 baht then let the kids syphon it into the smaller bottles , to answer your op as long as the lid has been on the bottle or if unsure just give them a rinse out , i cant see it being a problem

[JetsetBkk]

My old water bottles go in the local rubbish bin. They don't stay there long though - removed by the local bin scavengers who sell the plastic for 20 baht/kilo and cans for 30 baht/kilo.

[astromash]

if unsure just give them a rinse out , i cant see it being a problem

I assume you mean rinse them out with a bit of drinking water - rather than tap water.

If you drink straight from the bottle you might want to swipe the mouth of the bottle and inside the lid too.

[Scott]

I reuse them all the time, what I do, however, is when I am done with them, I rinse them out well and leave them upside down at least overnight and then put them in the cupboard (or refill and into the fridge). I wouldn't leave any water in them, but if I did, I would rinse them well--and tapwater is perfectly safe to rinse them with--at least in the cities.

A second consideration is that there is some deterioration in the plastic over time. Other posters may be more knowledgeable about this and can comment. I try to rotate them out of the system every few months or so. As I get a new bottle, I get rid of an older one. To make sure I know which ones are the oldest, I use rubber bands on them--one month I'll put red rubber bands on them and the next month the brown ones--that way I know which ones should be tossed.

I also keep a row of frozen bottles in the freezer. I then put them in a cooler when I go shopping or am going to be out of town. Be sure and squeeze the bottles before freezing, as the ice expands.

[lazeeboy]

I reuse them all the time, what I do, however, is when I am done with them, I rinse them out well and leave them upside down at least overnight and then put them in the cupboard (or refill and into the fridge). I wouldn't leave any water in them, but if I did, I would rinse them well--and tapwater is perfectly safe to rinse them with--at least in the cities.

A second consideration is that there is some deterioration in the plastic over time. Other posters may be more knowledgeable about this and can comment. I try to rotate them out of the system every few months or so. As I get a new bottle, I get rid of an older one. To make sure I know which ones are the oldest, I use rubber bands on them--one month I'll put red rubber bands on them and the next month the brown ones--that way I know which ones should be tossed.

I also keep a row of frozen bottles in the freezer. I then put them in a cooler when I go shopping or am going to be out of town. Be sure and squeeze the bottles before freezing, as the ice expands.

if it only had water in its fine .........