I’ve wondered about this too, but honestly I’m not sure glass really absorbs smells that much. In my experience, it’s usually the lid or seal that holds onto odors, even after cleaning. I get anxious about lingering bacteria though, especially if the smell won’t go away... Maybe it’s just safer to dedicate one bottle for each type of drink?
I’ve got a cabinet full of old glass bottles—some of them have survived more decades than my original teeth. I swear, the glass itself never really smells, but those lids... now that’s a different story. Once had a bottle that used to hold garlic vinaigrette (don’t ask), and no matter what I did, the rubber seal smelled like an Italian restaurant for months. Tried soaking it in baking soda, vinegar, even left it out in the sun. Still got a whiff of garlic every time I opened it.
I get what you mean about bacteria—my dentist always says if it smells funky, it’s probably not your imagination. I just try to run the lids through the dishwasher on the hottest setting and, if they still smell, I’ll swap ‘em out or just use the bottle for water. Not worth stressing over. And dedicating bottles? I’m all for it. Life’s too short to drink coffee-flavored orange juice... learned that the hard way.
That garlic smell is no joke—once it gets into the rubber, it’s like it sets up camp. I’ve had similar issues with old pickle jar lids, and honestly, sometimes nothing works. I usually just replace stubborn lids if they’re still funky after a hot dishwasher cycle. You’re spot on about bacteria—if it smells off, it probably is. Dedicating bottles makes life easier (and less gross). Mixing flavors is a gamble I’m not willing to take again... learned that lesson with a peanut butter smoothie bottle.
I hear you on the garlic—once it’s in the lid, it’s like it’s part of the family. I’ve tried everything from baking soda pastes to leaving them out in the sun for a week. Sometimes it helps, but honestly, with those old pickle jar lids? If the smell’s still there after a couple runs through the dishwasher and a soak in vinegar, I just give up and repurpose them for non-food stuff.
I don’t love tossing things out, though, so I started using cheap silicone gaskets as replacements when the rubber gets too funky. Not a perfect fix, but it stretches the life of the bottle a bit longer. Dedicating bottles for certain flavors is key—I learned that the hard way after a curry soup incident with my smoothie bottle. Even after scrubbing, I was tasting cumin for weeks.
Mixing flavors is just not worth the risk or the hassle. And yeah, if it smells weird, I’m not taking chances. I’d rather spend a couple bucks on a new lid than deal with a mystery science experiment in my fridge.
I once tried to deep-clean a bottle that had held kimchi for a week. Thought I’d outsmart the smell with a denture tablet (hey, if it works for fake teeth, right?). Nope. It just smelled like minty cabbage after. I feel you on the dedicated bottles, though—my “coffee only” mug once betrayed me with a faint hint of garlic. Ever tried freezing the lids for a day or two? Someone swore by it, but I’m skeptical.
