I have a one gallon bottle like a true homie, but the rubber stopper started developing these black spots and no matter how much i scrub it and soke it. Any suggestions how to clean it and anything I can do to prevent it from happening again?
I can't answer your question, but this is an amazing abstract photo. Would you mind if I painted it?
Go ahead lol
Okokimup then proceeds to apply watercolor paint to his phone screen over the image of your water bottle
Scraping plastic can cause micro abrasions that allow for mold and other micro organisms to thrive. These can also form from just wear and tear.
Probably the best thing to do is simply to replace the bottle or maybe the cap can be replaced.
This is one of the reasons I try to avoid plastic/acrylic in my water bottles. But if i cant avoid it I try to opt for polypropylene and then just avoid getting it hot.
What you've got there is black mold. I've never run into any that won't come off with hot water, soap, and scrubbing, but I've read in articles that vinegar works to help remove it. The best way to prevent it from happening again is simply to wash your bottle frequently and to let it air dry after washing it.
Finally death /j, I clean the bottle regularly but it still developed, it's like it's in the stopper idk. I'll see if I can get vinegar and report back. Would you happen to know any food safe seals I could coat it with to possibly prevent this in the future.
There's basically no way to prevent it, so the only effective measure is regular cleaning
If it's black mold soak it in a very light bleach mixture (2 teaspoons for a gallon of water) for an extended time. Like 24 hours, and keep it submerged. Afterwards clean it thoroughly with water, if that doesn't get the mold out I would replace it.
Smells awesome when you kill mold with vinegar too. That's how you know it's working.
Switch to stainless steel. All plastic bottles slowly leech toxic materials into the water. Very quickly if you leave it in the heat by accident, too.
Water is great