The $12 Gem That Solves My Most Annoying Dishwashing Problem

I own more reusable water bottles than one person probably should, but I really do keep them all — whether it’s my Owala FreeSip or my Stanley IceFlow — in my rotation. I’ve held onto all of them for as long as I have mostly because I hate washing them by hand. It’s way easier to switch to a new bottle than to scrub it down every day. (And before you ask: Cleaning experts do say you’re supposed to wash it after every single use.)

My cleaning habits (or lack thereof) aren’t helped by the fact that I don’t have a dishwasher, and I never feel like I’m fully cleaning all of my water bottles’ nooks and crannies using my regular sponge. I recently got my hands on the right tools, though. It’s made a world of difference so far. OXO thought of everything with its $12 Water Bottle Cleaning Set — and because of that, I’ve even been better about drinking more water!

This three-piece set has everything you could ever need to wash any kind of water bottle, whether it’s super tall, has a narrow opening, or comes with a tricky lid. The long bottle brush solves that first issue, measuring 14 inches long and featuring nylon bristles on the end. It also includes a 10.5-inch straw brush and a smaller detail cleaner for caps and lids — and both use the same nylon bristles as the bottle brush. The set comes with a snap-off ring to keep all three pieces together in your drawer.

Now that I’m in a dishwasher-less apartment, I’m putting more thought into washing my dishes than ever. Before, I would toss my water bottles into the dishwasher for a deep clean, but I’m not so lucky anymore. I knew my handwashes weren’t quite cutting it with my regular sponge and straw brush, especially in the case of my Owala and its endless crevices.

I’ve been putting this set to the test on my most complicated water bottles — it consists of four pieces — and I’m shocked at how effortless the brushes have made the cleaning process. I was skeptical at first of the largest brush and if it would fit into the bottle’s narrow opening, but it turned out to be the perfect width, with the bristles bending slightly to slip inside. It’s also one of my deepest water bottles, and the brush’s arm is more than long enough to reach the bottom.

However, as great as the bottle and straw brushes are, the detail brush has been my favorite by far. The bristles are sturdy, but they’re also flexible enough to get into the little grooves in my water bottle’s cap. Another bonus I didn’t expect? I’ve also found the detail brush to come in handy for cleaning my blender. The crevices of the lid are usually a pain to wash with my sponge, but this brush does such a better job and requires only half the effort.

Now that cleaning it takes less work, I’m much better about bringing a water bottle with me everywhere, which means that I’m also more consistently hydrating. I might even be able to slim down on my water bottle collection and free up some cabinet space, to boot!

Buy: OXO Water Bottle Cleaning Set, $11.99 (also available on Amazon)