How to Clean your Hydro Flask Cap and Remove the Moldy Smell

So you have cleaned and cleaned your beloved Hydro Flask bottle.  You scrubbed it, you soaked it, and you even bought an expensive brush to ensure you get to the bottom of the bottle.  But yet, you taste the water and you know something isn't right.  Or you can just smell it when you take your first sip of the day.

What is causing the smell or strange taste in my Hydro Flask?

Well, it took me awhile until I figured out what was causing the smell or that bad taste in my water. It was the gasket or the ring seal inside the cap. It was filthy - covered with mildew and mold.

The gasket sits directly over the lip of the bottle - yes the part that your mouth touches.  It is no wonder the bottle smelled bad and the water tastes a little off. 

Now the gasket is seated way inside the cap or lid.  You need a very thin knife or a paper clip to pick it off.  Not the easiest process.  You have to be careful or you can damage the gasket and that will make the gasket leaky.  Not to worry.  Keep reading ... there is an easier way to get the gasket off.

Once you have it off, you want to clean it thoroughly.  You can soak it with white vinegar and use a toothbrush to scrub off the mildew and mold.  They should come off relatively easily if the mold isn't set in.  But in the picture above, this gasket of mine was beyond a good cleaning.  Those mold didn't come off.  Why?  The daily wear and tear on the gasket from the friction of twisting the cap against bottle caused micro-tears on the gasket.  It created perfect spots for mold to grow and set in.  If that is your case as well, the gasket simply needed to be replaced.

How do you replace the gasket on a Hydro Flask bottle?

In the summer of 2018, I was driven to find a better solution.  I founded Bottle Helpers to offer replacement gaskets for sports bottles.  I knew there must be others out there like me with the same problem.  So here we are.....like the hundreds of people who found and purchased our gasket replacement kits from Bottle Helpers, you are on your way to healthier and cleaner water.  Say good bye to smelly bottles forever.  Make your water taste great again!