Are S’Well Bottles Dishwasher Safe? NO, Here’s Why

The S’Well bottles, with their swanky and sleek designs, are durable and double up as a fashion accessory for both women and men.

S’Well bottles are great and keep drinks cold or hot for hours, but what I don’t like so much is the washing. S'Well bottles have a small opening which can make them difficult to clean properly. It would be great to be able to clean them in the dishwasher.

But are S’Well bottles dishwasher safe and what will happen if I put my S’Well bottle in the dishwasher?

S’Well bottles are NOT dishwasher safe. S’well bottles should be hand-washed using hot water and normal dishwashing soap. The dishwasher can chip the paint and damage the vacuum seal. 

Created in 2010 by founder Sarah Kauss, the S’Well bottles are made with BPA-free stainless steel that helps keep your beverages hot and cold. 

So how sure can you be that they are not dishwasher safe? 

On their website, under the FAQ section, S’Well explicitly states: 

“S'well products are NOT dishwasher safe.” 

They advise that all S’Well bottles should be hand-washed only using hot water and normal dishwashing soap. 

What Happens If You Put a S’Well Bottle in The Dishwasher

So what will happen if you ignore the care instructions and decide to put your S’Well bottle in the dishwasher?

According to S’Well themselves, washing your bottle in the dishwasher can damage the exterior of the bottle by chipping the paint. This is also why Ember Mugs are not considered dishwasher safe even though they have been tested in the dishwasher.

Which is a shame considering the S'Well brand is so popular thanks to its unique and stunning designs.

There is also a slight chance that washing your S'Well bottle in the dishwasher could also damage the vacuum seal.

S'Well bottles are made from double wall stainless steel with a vacuum in between the walls which insulates the bottle allowing it to keep drinks hot or cold.

For many vacuum insulated water bottles this seal is then capped off with a soft metal. It is theoretically possible that the dishwasher could melt this soft metal seal compromising the vacuum insulation and leading your S'Well bottle to no longer keep drinks hot or cold.

However, I think this is unlikely as dishwashers don't get THAT hot and many other brands using similar technology say their bottles are dishwasher safe.

Because these stainless-steel bottles are so tall and narrow, it can be difficult to clean them properly inside, so I suggest using a bottle brush to scrub the inside. 

Bottlebrushes are inexpensive and well worth the investment. I personally use and like this bottle brush kit at Amazon. It's inexpensive but also comes with a straw brush and a smaller brush which is great for cleaning the lid and gasket of the bottle.

Check out how to properly clean your S’Well bottle with my guide on cleaning flask bottles. The flask bottles are also narrow and tall. 

While some other brands have lids that can be placed on the top rack of the dishwasher, S’Well makes no mention of the lids. Therefore, I would presume that these are not dishwasher-safe either. 

To be on the safe side, just hand wash the bottles in soapy hot water. 

Is Damage From The Dishwasher Covered Under Warranty?

S’Well only offers a limited one-year warranty on all their bottles, and they do not cover any damage from dishwasher use. 

On their website, they state: 

“S’well’s one-year limited warranty does not cover any issues due to improper use, normal wear, and tear, or loss / theft of the bottle.”

They only cover manufacturing defects such as thermal performance issues. If your bottle’s vacuum insulation did break from the dishwasher, this probably wouldn’t be covered. 

But you can always contact them and see, maybe don’t tell them you put it in the dishwasher.