As an active person, staying hydrated is one of your top priorities. Cleaning your water bottle should be聽high up on your to-do list, too, but for many of us鈥攍et鈥檚 be honest鈥攊t鈥檚 not.
This makes for a humbling (and gross) reality check when you go for a drink, glance down at your mouthpiece, and are forced to reckon with a film of mystery gunk that has collected there since the last time you washed it.
Due to busy schedules, forgetfulness, and a lack of extra tumblers, water bottles get nasty quickly. Although we love the sustainable choice of reusing one, that commitment requires some care-taking to avoid illness and maintain good water-bottle hygiene.
Below, experts dig into the dirty details and share their tips for keeping your water bottle safe and sanitary, no matter how many sweaty hikes or shared sips it endures.
What Types of Bacteria Are Lurking in Your Reusable Water Bottle?
According to the , a not-for-profit organization in the water treatment industry, all drinking water contains microbes or heterotrophic microorganisms, a catch-all term for types of bacteria, mold, or yeast.
A that swabbed water bottles found that the most common bacteria in reusable bottles were associated with antibiotic-resistant, hospital-acquired infections like pneumonia and meningitis (which can be fatal), and food poisoning, which comes with symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea.
The survey also concluded that Americans鈥 reusable water bottles, on average, contain 20.8 million CFUs of bacteria鈥攁bout 40,000 times more than you鈥檇 typically find on a household toilet seat.
Exactly what type of invaders your water bottle collects depends on if it has a screw top with nooks and crannies for germs to stow away in, whether or not you share your bottle with others, or if you use it for anything other than water, like coffee or sports drinks, explains , a professor of Environmental and Occupational Health at the University of California Irvine’s Joe C. Wen School of Population and Public Health.
Sugary beverages, in particular, leave behind nutrients for bacteria to feed on and multiply.
Drinking from a Dirty Bottle Can Make You Sick
If you don鈥檛 clean your water bottle properly, all kinds of bacteria can start to grow. Ingesting water from an unclean bottle can result in gastrointestinal or respiratory issues, says , a professor of Food and Nutrition at Florida State University.
How to Tell When Your Water Bottle Is Dirty
Acceptable levels of heterotrophic organisms, also known as heterotrophic plate counts (HPC), vary by country.聽The Environmental Protection Agency鈥檚 HPC standard for any given drinking water sample is less than or equal to 500 colony-forming units per milliliter (CFU/mL).
When your water surpasses that threshold, and/or other bacteria strains are introduced to the mix鈥攍ike when a water bottle goes uncleaned after a workout鈥攚ater safety is called into question.
You won鈥檛 always be able to tell how dirty your water bottle is. That鈥檚 a big reason cleaning them falls by the wayside: they 鈥渓ook鈥 clean.
According to the , more noticeable signs of contamination are visible mold spots, an unpleasant smell, cloudy water, or an off-putting taste.
Instead of waiting for it to show signs of grime, just get into the practice of cleaning it daily at a minimum.
However, if you fall behind and skip a few days, remain on the lookout for a tell-tale layer of dark slime known as a biofilm. It鈥檚 something that you will likely have to remove your lid and peek inside to notice, especially if it鈥檚 only been a few days since the bottle鈥檚 last wash.
Even then, if you don鈥檛 see anything, it鈥檚 worth taking a paper towel to swipe the bottle鈥檚 inner walls. If your napkin comes up soiled with a black, brown, or green substance, that鈥檚 not a good sign. You may also notice a weird odor emanating from its opening, or your water may suddenly taste off.
Does the Material or Design Impact Bacterial Growth?
In short, yes. 鈥淧lastic bottles, especially those made from softer materials, can develop scratches over time, creating spots where bacteria can thrive, and certain slightly porous plastics can further promote bacterial colonization,鈥 explains Wu.
On the flip side, metal bottles are usually smoother, less porous, and therefore scratch-resistant, she adds, which makes bacterial growth less likely.
Regarding design, Wu adds, 鈥淣arrow openings are harder to clean thoroughly, increasing contamination risks.鈥 So, your best bet is to go with a metal or glass bottle with a wide mouth.
How to Clean Your Water Bottle
鈥淭reat your water bottle like a utensil,鈥 says , the CEO of Stop Foodborne Illness. If it鈥檚 dishwasher safe, she strongly recommends running it through a wash cycle.
Below are some more expert tips for water bottle washing.
Clean Your Water Bottle After You Purchase It
When you鈥檝e bought your ideal water bottle, don鈥檛 race to use it. Baum says it鈥檚 important to clean and sanitize it with hot water before your lips ever touch it鈥攂ecause who knows how dirty its journey to the store was.
Wash Your Water Bottle Daily, and Do a Good Job
Rao recommends washing the bottle with warm, soapy water, especially if you use it frequently or for beverages other than water. (Reader: just聽rinsing the bottle under some running water doesn鈥檛 qualify as cleaning it.)
Clean Your Reusable Straw with a Small, Long Brush
Flushing the narrow spout with water won鈥檛 cut it. This is especially the case if your straw is plastic because, as Wu notes about plastic water bottles, they are most easily scratched and, therefore, more likely to harbor bacteria.
Regardless of material, straws are small and compact, making them the perfect hiding places for bacteria, so they always need a good scrubbing from end to end with a slim brush tool like .
Dismantle Your Sip Spout and Clean Each Individual Piece
If your sip spout is made up of聽multiple pieces, break down your bottle before cleaning it to ensure you can sanitize all of the聽hidden pockets where moisture and residue get trapped, for example, the joint where the straw folds in and out.
When the lid construction is more cumbersome, you can soak it in hot, soapy water and rinse it thoroughly or toss it in the dishwasher. If you have the option, use the sani rinse cycle; this will clean your dishware at a higher temperature than a normal wash and kill more germs.
If You Have a Water Bladder, Give It a Similar Treatment
Your hiking water reservoir can be treated like a giant water bottle. Soak it in hot, soapy water or use a cleaning tab, like the , scrub the inside (including the narrow drinking hose, which will require a slim, straw-cleaning brush), drain it, and rinse it well before refilling for the next adventure. During the soak stage, make sure to also fill the hose with cleaning solution.
Narrow-Neck Bottles Require Attention to Detail
Professor Wu points out that bottles with narrow necks make thorough cleaning difficult. Cleaning one efficiently might take a slender bottle-cleaning brush or, more simply, a soft sponge that鈥檚 easy to manipulate around its curves without missing any spots.
Don鈥檛 Forget to Wash the 国产吃瓜黑料
鈥淧eople often carry their water bottle throughout the day and rest it on various surfaces,鈥 says , a board-certified family physician in North Carolina, like, for example, in a sweaty duffel or on a musty tree trunk. For that reason, cleaning the outside of your bottle with the same soapy water method matters.
The easiest way to keep your water bottle clean is to make washing it part of your daily routine,聽Malchuk says, just like brushing your teeth. That way, you鈥檒l never have to wonder how gross it is, which, as we鈥檝e established, could be very.
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