Cleaning out a water bottle tube. Push a thin long piece of thin stiff wire through the tube, put a loop on on end tie a piece of string pull through . fastern a small piece of cloth on to one end of string (what you think will be enough) damped pull through gentley this should pull the gunge out. or push a small piece of clough in tube push through with a thin stick (ie Long dowel,or bamboo cane )to push gunge out.

Milton Tablets. Good enough for cleaning / Sterling baby bottles

I had this with my first pouch. The solution was a product called 'magic balls' intended for cleaning the inside of vases & decanters. Basically small brass ball bearings they could be rolled down the tube to dislodge deposits. Leaving some boiled water in the pouch between walks works well.

I found a solution to this from an unexpected quarter - my other hobby, playing the French horn. One horn manufacturer produces the 'pull-through' - basically a brush on a wire, designed for cleaning the inside of the horn. What works for a length of fixed metal tubing also works for a length of flexible plastic tubing, although getting it through is a little fiddly as the drinking tube is slightly narrower than the horn.

You can purchase a thin brush on a long wire handle that fits inside the tube. I also use a milton sterilisation tablet, the sort you use for cleaning babies feeding bottles.

Thanks Mike - soaking it and whirling it around my head seems to be pretty much the order of the day. I'll try that and see what I get!

Hi Michael. If you scroll down to 23 July 2008 there is an earlier posting answering this

I've recently bought one of those water pouch thingies with a tube attached, to save me having to dig a bottle out of my rucksack any time I need a drink. Having used it on a few walks now, it needs cleaning. The pouch itself isn't a problem - I can reach a couple of fingers inside to wipe it with a cloth - but does anyone know how I can clean the tube?