Is Your Reusable Water Bottle Making You Sick?

Practically everyone has a water bottle at the worktable to stay hydrated the whole day. It’s a great way to minimise the use of single plastics, and also if you’re fussy about using the communal mug at work (yuck). But you know what’s more yuck than using that communal mug? When your water bottle is a mouldy mess – and you don’t even know about it.

If you’ve been a little too lax about cleaning your water bottle (‘fess up, do you wash it every day!), then you need to know that leaving your water bottle unwashed for a few days is exactly the reason why you’ve been having stomach issues of late. What could go wrong when you don’t wash your water bottle, you ask? Well, watch this TikTok video to see what could be lurking from a seemingly “clean” water bottle.

Yucked out yet? We are. You see, water bottles can get super grimy and the worst part is because of all the little bits and pieces that make up your water bottle, you may not even realise the dangers that lie in between the small parts. Think blackish, mould-like spots. Think microbes that accumulate in your water bottle, bacteria that’s going to go into your mouth and your body system the next time you take a drink.

And it’s not just that germ-infested water is disgusting (it is super!), it can be a potential health hazard. Any time a bottle isn’t clean and there’s moisture in that bottle, there’s always going to be growth of microorganisms like bacteria and mould spores. There’s a name for the disgusting stuff, stachybotrys, which shows up as slimy, black mould. How does this affect your health? Well let’s just say you continue drinking from that dirty water bottle. The contact from your saliva keeps the mould spores going, accumulating in even more gunk. This then increases the possibility of you being exposed to dangerous mould that can cause headaches, fatigue, and an upset stomach. For some, it can even become so bad that it warrants a visit to the hospital for super serious gastrointestinal issues similar to food poisoning!

Thankfully, the levels of mould in a water bottle most likely will not be high enough to trigger a dangerous level of disease. Chances are you’ll be deterred by an off-putting smell or taste before you drink enough to become super sick.

But that doesn’t mean all is OK with your water bottle! Imagine drinking from a straw or mouthpiece covered with slimy mould! The best way to keep your water bottle mould free? Here are some tips.

#1 Wash it regularly
If you use your water bottle every day, then it makes sense to wash it daily. Or even every other day but that should be as long as it goes. Bring your water bottle home from work to give it a good rinse. Remember, if your water bottle is in your backpack or purse, and the part when you put your mouth on is bumping into things in your bag (read: germs and dirt), it will get dirtier faster. So really, there’s no other way around this but to give your water bottle a good rinse at the end of the day.

#2 Use a bottle brush
Your hand can only reach so far into your water bottle so get yourself one of those inexpensive water brushes from Shopee! These have tiny, long brushes to get inside of straws and clean narrow necks or deep into the water bottle. Give it a good scrub with some soapy water and then rinse off properly.

#3 Dismantle it
Chances are you’re not cleaning your water bottle properly. Water bottles have nooks, crannies, and removable parts. All these areas can really harbour bacteria and mould if not washed properly (watch that TikTok video again!). That’s why it’s important to remove all the pieces of your water bottle and wash them thoroughly.

#4 Give it a deep cleanse
You might want to consider giving your water bottle a deep cleanse every other week. And it’s super easy to do! Mix vinegar with baking soda to create a paste. Rub all parts of your bottle with it (don’t forget the detachable bits like straws and valves). Leave it for about 15 minutes, give it a good scrub, and rinse off with scalding water. Make sure to let everything dry out before you use it again. Or if you have a dishwasher, dump it in there the next time you run a cycle.

If there’s still dirt and grime in your water bottle no matter how many times you’ve scrubbed, just get rid of it. And make sure to really clean your new water bottle next!

Photo by Bluewater Sweden on Unsplash.