Using Denture Cleaner to Rid Cycling Bottles of Nasty Mold

I admit it. I once had a water bottle that looked like it could've spawned mutant sea-life inside, but I couldn't see the creatures through all of the mold.

That's what happens if you leave Gatorade or (especially) CarboPro in your bottle post-ride. But if your ride was 18 hours long (or, you know, spinning at the gym), sometimes you just don't feel like cleaning when you get home. Cue the spawning of mutant bottlefish.

However, there is a cure for your disgusting piece of plastic other than being wasteful, throwing it out, and buying a new one. Or waiting for the next race that hands out water bottles in their goody bag.

The answer to all of your problems is in this little pill:

If you ever had retainers, you probably encountered the miracle that is denture cleaner. Drop one pill in, let it fizz. In the case of Efferdent, it'll turn clear when its done cleaning. (At least its supposed to...in my experiment, the water still looked blue...maybe the bottle was just that bad.)

(Turns blue. Nasty stuff rises to top.)

Then dump the stuff out and rinse. All the algae and grime and fuzz and stuff in your bottle will scrub off easily now, if

it didn't already jump ship at the sight of the Efferdent tablet.

Voilà. Like-new bottle.

So the next time your spouse or training partner gets on your case for your inability to rinse your bottles after every ride, whip out your denture cleaner and tell him/her you've got it covered.

Then laugh when they start staring curiously at your teeth.

To Poocasso Or Not? How to Dispose of Human Waste in the Wilderness

Perhaps I am speaking from past experience as a camp counselor in this article I wrote for TriadCamping.com.

Should you find yourself on a multi-day mountain biking adventure, or in an adventure race, this might come in handy!

"It’s natural. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. You gotta do it. In fact, if you don’t do your business when you’re camping in the wilderness, you might get sick from holding it in (and wrongfully blame your stove buddy for your stomach pains!).

But it’s not always clear what you’re supposed to do with you poo. Should you make a “Poocasso”, smearing it on a rock exposed to the sun to kill the bacteria? Or is that just something a prankster camp counselor told you when you were 12 and gullible? Leaving it out doesn’t seem very civil. Packing it out doesn’t seem very fun.

If you’re on a multi-day backpacking trip in the backcountry, responsibly disposing of your waste should become second nature to pitching your tent. Remember the old camping adage: Leave only footprints, take only pictures? (Though some images would be best left to the imagination…) It’s time to practice minimum-impact, green camping!"

Click here to find out what you need to know to enjoy your trip to the fullest without harming the environment—aesthetically or bacterially...