How to Clean a 32 oz Water Bottle With a Straw Lid (Step by Step)

To clean a 32 oz water bottle with a straw lid, take the lid apart (lid, straw and any removable stopper), wash every piece in warm soapy water with a long bottle brush and a thin straw brush, rinse, and let everything air-dry apart before you put it back together. Do a quick rinse after each day and a full take-apart wash at least once a week, or right away if you put anything other than water in it.

What you are cleaning: the parts of a 32 oz bottle with a straw lid

The NuRich 32 oz Insulated Water Bottle with Straw Lid ($29.99) has a few parts, and each one needs a slightly different wash. Here is what its listing says about it:

• Body: 18/8 stainless steel with double-wall insulation and a smooth powder-coat exterior. It keeps drinks cold for 18+ hours and hot for 12 hours.
• Opening: wide mouth, so ice drops right in, and a brush or sponge fits in easily too.
• Lid: a leak-proof straw lid for one-handed sipping, with a carry loop on the side.
• Materials: 100% BPA-free.

The places that hold on to residue are almost always the same: the straw, the inside of the lid where the straw seats, the rubber ring (gasket) under the lid, and the threads at the top of the bottle.

What you need

• Warm water and a few drops of mild dish soap.
• A long bottle brush that reaches the bottom of a 32 oz bottle.
• A thin straw brush (pipe-cleaner style) for the inside of the straw.
• A clean towel or a dish rack for air-drying.
• Optional: baking soda or white vinegar for a deep clean.

How to clean a 32 oz water bottle with a straw lid, step by step

1. Empty and take it apart. Unscrew the lid. Pull the straw out of the lid. If the rubber ring under the lid comes out, pry it out gently with a fingernail or the back of a spoon (not a knife).
2. Rinse everything. Run warm water through the straw and over the lid and the inside of the bottle to loosen anything stuck.
3. Wash the bottle. Add warm water and a little dish soap, then scrub the inside with the long brush, all the way down to the bottom corner. Don't forget the threads at the top, where the lid screws on.
4. Wash the straw. Push the straw brush through from both ends with soapy water, then hold the straw under the tap and let water run through it.
5. Wash the lid. Scrub the spot where the straw seats, the mouthpiece, the carry loop and the groove where the rubber ring sits. Wash the ring on its own.
6. Rinse well. Rinse every part until there are no soap bubbles left, especially inside the straw.
7. Air-dry apart. Stand the bottle upside down on a rack, or on its side, with the lid, straw and ring next to it. Leave them apart until they are completely dry, then put the ring back, the straw back and the lid on.

Deep clean: when it smells or you see spots

If the bottle smells or you see spots after a busy week, do one of these, then wash and rinse as above:

• Baking soda soak: about 1 tablespoon of baking soda in the bottle, fill with warm water and let it sit with the lid off for a few hours or overnight. Put the straw and lid in a bowl with the same mix.
• Vinegar soak: fill the bottle about a quarter of the way with white vinegar, top it up with warm water and let it sit overnight. Soak the straw and lid parts in a bowl of the same mix.
• Don't mix cleaners. Use one method at a time, and never mix vinegar or soap with bleach.

Straw lids can be the stubborn part. For a whole post on just that, see How to Get the Smell Out of a Straw Lid.

Dishwasher or hand wash?

The 32 oz listing doesn't include dishwasher instructions for the bottle, so we recommend washing the bottle body by hand: it's quick with a long brush, and it keeps the powder-coat exterior looking good. Never put the bottle in the freezer or the microwave. For more on this choice, read Dishwasher or Hand Wash? How to Clean an Insulated Bottle Without Ruining It.

A tip: keep a second lid for wash day

Straw lids take the longest to dry, because water hides inside the straw and around the seat. Many people keep a second lid so the bottle is ready to go while the straw lid dries overnight. The NuRich Loop Lid ($9.99) is a wide mouth chug lid with a carry loop and a leak-proof rubber gasket. It fits 2.28 in neck, 12-64 oz bottles, including the NuRich 32 oz, and it is top-rack dishwasher safe. See Dishwasher-Safe Water Bottle Lids: What "Top-Rack Safe" Means and How to Wash Yours for how to load it.

How often to clean it

• Every day (water only): empty, rinse the bottle and run water through the straw, and leave it open to dry overnight.
• Once a week: the full take-apart wash above.
• Right away: after anything other than water (sports drinks, juice, coffee, smoothies), and before you store the bottle for a while.

Still deciding if 32 oz is the right size for you? Read 32 oz Water Bottle With Straw Lid: Is It Too Big for the Gym or the Car Cup Holder? Or see the NuRich 32 oz Insulated Water Bottle with Straw Lid.

FAQ

How do you clean the straw in a straw lid water bottle?

Pull the straw out of the lid, push a thin straw brush through it from both ends with warm soapy water, then rinse by running tap water through it. Let it air-dry fully before you put it back.

How often should you clean a water bottle with a straw?

Rinse it every day and do a full take-apart wash at least once a week. Wash it right away if you put anything other than water in it.

Can you put a 32 oz insulated bottle in the dishwasher?

The NuRich 32 oz listing doesn't include dishwasher instructions for the bottle, so we recommend washing the bottle body by hand with warm soapy water and a long bottle brush.

How do you get the smell out of a 32 oz water bottle?

Soak it overnight with about 1 tablespoon of baking soda and warm water, or with a quarter bottle of white vinegar topped up with warm water. Then wash, rinse well and let it air-dry with the lid off.

Should I let my water bottle air-dry with the lid off?

Yes. Leave the bottle, lid, straw and rubber ring apart until they are completely dry. Closing a wet bottle traps moisture inside.

Written by the NuRich team in Winder, GA. We cite primary sources and only state what's on our product listings.
The NuRich team · Clean water for everyone.