Handle With Care: A Nalgene Bottle Poll

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On the other hand, only 18 percent of our respondents washed their bottles in the dishwasher, where harsh detergents can scratch the plastic and high heat can increase the potential for leaching. Fifty-two percent hand-washed their bottles with dish soap and water, while 25 percent rinsed their bottles in warm or cold water without using any soap at all. (Nalgene Outdoor recommends that their bottles be cleaned in warm soapy water or in the top rack of the dishwasher, away from the heating element.)

A third of respondents said they drank water from their Nalgene bottles even if the water had been inside it for 24 hours or more, which may be a concern, as longer exposure and increased heat can lead to slightly higher levels of BPA. Indeed, 36 percent of respondents noticed a change in the taste of the water inside a Nalgene bottle after it was left out in the sun or if water was held in it for a long time.

Nevertheless, despite the possibility of BPA leaching from polycarbonate bottles, only 14 percent reported that they had replaced their Nalgene bottles with stainless steel or another non-plastic alternative due to concerns about leaching. The most common answer people chose for replacing their Nalgene bottles was losing the bottles or leaving them somewhere.

Safer Nalgenes and Other Alternatives

If you love the style and design of Nalgene bottles, there's no reason to avoid the entire company because of the potential risks posed by polycarbonate. Nalgene makes a wide variety of bottles, some of which are made from safer #2, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and #4, low-density polyethylene (LDPE), plastics (www.nalgene-outdoor.com).

If you do decide to give up plastic for good, try a stainless-steel bottle like Klean Kanteen's 27-ounce bottle with a #5 polypropylene cap ($13.95; www.kleankanteen.com).

For additional safer, refillable plastic water bottles, see "Picnic Perfect Plastics," GG#114.

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