How to clean your CamelBak reservoir

If you use a Camelbak Hydration Reservoir you’re going to want to keep it, its hose, and bite valve clean. If you just drink water, you can store it empty in the freezer or dry it out after each use and nothing bad will grow in it. But if you put any kind of flavoring or performance enhancement powder into your Camelbak, you definitely need to take a more active approach to keeping it clean between uses. These things can turn into science experiments quickly if you’re not careful.

The best way to care for your reservoir is to clean and dry it after every use, especially if you fill the reservoir with anything other than water. However, theoretically, if someone didn’t clean it after every single use, and mold or discoloration happens to develop…

Here are a few common cleaning techniques:

Use hot water and 2 tablespoons of baking soda or bleach. Efferdent denture cleaning tablets also work as a cleansing agent.

Let the reservoir and cleaning solution sit for about 30 minutes.

Hold the reservoir above your head while you pinch the bite valve, allowing the cleaning solution to run through the tube and bite valve.

Wash the reservoir with hot water and mild soap. Be sure to completely rinse away any bleach or cleaning solution before using again.

Once the reservoir is clean, be sure to air dry the reservoir so no moisture is trapped inside, which can cause mould to grow.

These steps will make your reservoir safe for use. If you have spots left from the mold, they will never come all the way out because the reservoir is permanently stained, but still safe and usable.

How to clean your CamelBak hydration pack

We recommend wiping your pack with a damp cloth to remove dirt. If the pack is extremely dirty and needs a deeper cleaning, soak it in cool or warm water with a very mild soap. Rinse the pack thoroughly with cool water. If soap residue remains in the fabric, it may create suds if exposed to water or sweat.

DO NOT wash your pack in a washing machine. Machine washing may damage the pack or affect the integrity of the fabric and fasteners, and will void the Got Your Bak™ Guarantee.