Hydro Flask water bottles are excellent for keeping water icy cold for hours, but they’re not just for regular water. You can put sparkling water and most other carbonated beverages in Hydro Flask without causing any damage to the water bottle.
In fact, Hydro Flask ranks among our picks for the best water bottles for sparkling water.
However, there are a few important things to consider if you’re planning on filling your Hydro Flask with sparkling water, soda, beer, or anything that isn’t water. You will need to learn how to properly clean the water bottle, and understand which drinks you should avoid filling it with.
Sparkling Water Will Not Damage a Metal Water Bottle
There is no need to worry about sparkling water damaging your stainless steel water bottle. Stainless steel is extremely resistant to corrosion from acids like carbonic acid, which is found in sparkling water and gives it a mildly bitter or sour taste. It also stands up well to the phosphoric acid and citric acid found in soda.
Especially considering the low concentrations of the acids found in these beverages, there is very little chance that they would have any permanent effect on a Hydro Flask’s interior. Similarly, acid is unlikely to have any noticeable impact on the rubber and plastic components of this brand of water bottle.
Potential for Residue Buildup
You should avoid keeping sugary or acidic beverages in your water bottle for long periods of time. While corrosion is unlikely, these drinks can leave behind a nasty buildup of residue in your Hydro Flask that can be difficult to clean. This is much more likely to occur with soda, coffee, or tea. It most likely wouldn’t occur with sparkling water.
Carbonated Beverages Will Stay Fizzy in a Hydro Flask
Get ready to take ice cold carbonated water, soda, coffee, kombucha, or even champagne on your next hike or day at the beach! You can keep any of these beverages cold in a Hydro Flask and retain carbonation for several hours.
The water bottles are air-tight if sealed tightly using a standard Hydro Flask lid. The trick is to pour the drinks into a different vessel when you’re ready to drink them. That way, you’ll allow less carbonation to escape by opening the bottle fewer times.
Carbonation from sparkling water or other drinks will not cause your Hydro Flask to explode, though it may cause a funny squealing sound if you don’t screw the lid on tightly enough.
Use Your Stainless Steel Bottle for Hot Food and Drinks
You probably knew that your Hydro Flask could keep beverages cold for up to 24 hours. What you may not have known is that it’s also a great container for hot drinks. Hot liquid should stay that way for about 12 hours in these water bottles.
If you’re concerned about the acidity of coffee causing corrosive damage to your stainless steel bottle – don’t worry. It will not damage the bottle. Consider the fact that the majority of thermoses designed for coffee are also made of stainless steel.
It may sound weird, but you can even use your water bottle for hot soup, chili, or any other food that might fit inside. Some people like to bring hot dogs on ski trips or hikes by keeping them with boiling water inside a thermos. You are only limited by your imagination when it comes to storing food in a Hydro Flask.
What Not to Put in a Hydro Flask
There is a bit of misinformation floating around regarding what can and can’t be put in a Hydro Flask. The truth is, there really isn’t any food or beverage that you can’t use it for.
Some say that you should not put lemon water or other acid beverages in these bottles. Lemon water is no more acid than soda, which is perfectly fine to put in a Hydro Flask without causing any damage to the bottle.
Others say you shouldn’t put milk in a Hydro Flask. It’s fine to keep milk in one of these water bottles for a reasonable period of time, meaning several hours. After that, you may begin to see some residue buildup that can be difficult to clean. The other obvious thing to note is that milk is highly perishable. You wouldn’t want to fill your bottle with it and drink it the next day.
Some people say that tea will cause damage to stainless steel water bottles. Tea contains tannins that stain our teeth, clothes and pretty much anything else. It’s easy to see why people would think it’s a bad idea for a water bottle. While it’s true that keeping tea in a Hydro Flask for an extended period of time can lead to residue buildup, tea is highly unlikely to damage the bottle if you clean it thoroughly.
How to Clean a Hydro Flask
According to Hydro Flask, the best way to clean your water bottle is with warm, soapy water and a brush. The company sells a bottle brush specifically designed to clean a Hydro Flask, and it works great. Straw cleaning brushes are also available.
You may be surprised to learn that Hydro Flasks are dishwasher safe! While it may not be as effective as a good scrubbing with a brush, it shouldn’t cause any damage to your bottle. Just be sure to remove the lid and place it on the upper rack.
The company also offers natural cleaning tablets, which do the hard work of removing any residue without any scrubbing required. Just add a tablet to your Hydro Flask, fill with warm water, and wait about half an hour. Rinse the bottle and you’re good to go.
Hydro Flasks Work Well For Sparkling Water
If you’re concerned about damaging your water bottle with sparkling water or another carbonated beverage – don’t be. The carbonation will have no ill effects on the bottle. Nor will any acids, sugar, or other ingredients – so long as you clean the bottle thoroughly in a timely manner.