Is Your Water Bottle Clean?

We all know that water is important: it is literally essential to life. Now that water bottles are even more popular, many more people are drinking more water, which is great.

But is your water bottle clean? Some might think, “I put in clean water, and it’s sealed! What could happen?” Well, while it is closed, unless you’re filling it up, it’s far from sealed. Unfortunately, dark, wet areas can be breeding grounds for microbes (bacteria) and mold. While there are good bacteria in our bodies, we all know there are bad bacteria too. And mold is never fun. Throughout the day, the temperature of the bottle rises, getting warmer, which adds to the ability to grow bacteria.

Just as food lingers in our mouths and teeth after a meal, food does wind up in our water bottles too. Whether it is the type you drink out of like a cup or sip from through a straw, eventually some of the water that goes into our mouths gets pulled back into the bottle.

While the likelihood of becoming sick from the bacteria in your water bottle is very low, it’s not impossible. So, it is best to wash out your water bottle regularly: every day! Every single day.

We make sure that our food is clean before we eat it. We wash vegetables. We clean surfaces we prepare food on. Why wouldn’t we clean everything else that holds what we eat or drink?

What is the best way to clean out your water bottle? Just wash it. The best way, and most thorough, is going to be hand washing. You might be saying, “I’ll just chuck it in the dishwasher!” Before you do, make sure it is dishwasher safe. Many manufacturers would advise not to put a water bottle in the dishwasher because the detergent pods can be a bit harsh for the special liners and surfaces many bottles have, but plates and pots and pans don’t.

Hand washing is going to be your best bet. Our water bottles tend to have many parts. The main bottle, lid, screw on cap and maybe a straw, some that are foldable.  That means there are all kinds of little nooks and crannies that need to be cleaned. Because of that, you will need a brush, maybe even two, to do a good job. You can use one brush for the main bottle and bigger areas, and another, skinny one for inside the straw. Use a good dishwashing soap, and really get in there and make it sudsy. Do not just “let it soak;” you need to scrub, too.

You can also do a rinse with distilled white vinegar (about 1 part vinegar to 4 parts water), or even baking soda.

Water is so very important to our bodies, and a major part of keeping us healthy, so let’s make sure your water and what you drink it out of are clean.