Can it Be Dangerous Not to Wash Your Water Bottle?

Maybe you don’t think about cleaning your water bottle. If you’re basically just filling it with H2o and you’re the only one who drinks from it, it should almost always be germ-free, right? Well, maybe it isn’t. This is what happens if you don’t clean the gym or office water bottle. Plus, we give you expert advice on how, and how often, you should clean it.

What happens if you don’t clean your water bottle?

If you don’t clean it often enough, you can cause a buildup of germs , which can negatively affect your health. And when we say germs, we are talking about mold and bacteria.

Water Bottle

Mold tends to grow in standing water, and since the bottle is never sterile, bacteria can also grow. Also, if you are drinking directly from the bottle, the bacteria in your mouth will transfer to the water and grow inside the bottle.

In addition to the mouth, the container can collect bacteria from your hands and any surface that touches it. Bacteria in the mouth are not as worrisome because your body is familiar with them, but the problem is bacteria that come from your hands (and therefore from your wider environment) or that come from someone else with whom you share a bottle.

But are those bacteria and mold so harmful?

Bacteria and mold grow in humid environments, and the water bottles or any other liquid containers you are drinking can have mold, bacteria and possibly yeast as it is not sterile. If it’s not cleaned (and dried!) Between uses, you give those little organisms room to thrive.

Plus, it’s even worse if you put sweeteners or a sports drink in your water bottle. If your drink has sugar, this will speed up the growth of organisms that can eventually make you sick if left out for a long time or if the bottle is not cleaned properly before the next use. Also, the pH of the liquid inside can affect the growth of organisms and potentially speed it up.

If these organisms are left behind because you are not washing it, you can get sick. You may notice nausea and an upset stomach, as well as fatigue, headaches, or, if mold is present, allergy symptoms such as sneezing or a stuffy nose.

Does something happen if you don’t clean it?

Occasionally you can skip a wash, but don’t make it a habit. If you forgot to wash the water bottle and find yourself in a situation where you can become dehydrated if you don’t drink and reuse the dirty bottle, nothing would happen. You just have to be aware that you are playing the odds of getting sick.

Although drinking from a dirty reusable bottle is generally a “no,” it could be worse to reuse a single-use plastic bottle.

The single-use plastic ones are meant to be just that, only used once . This is because the chemicals used in the manufacturing of the bottle can leak into the water in subsequent uses and these chemicals, like BPA, are known to be harmful to human health.

Plastic is more demonized than other reusable bottles, but for good reason: Compared to stainless steel or glass, plastic can form small cracks that harbor bacteria more easily.

So throw away the single-use plastic after it’s done and grab a new one or, better yet, grab a reusable glass or stainless steel bottle.

Just don’t fall for the common myth that stainless steel doesn’t need to be cleaned . Despite claims that steel can act as a natural antibacterial, research shows that it actually has very weak antibacterial ability.

How (and how often) do you have to wash it?

Try cleaning your water bottle at least once a week , but every day or after each use wouldn’t be a bad idea, either.

Those who are immunocompromised for some reason (this includes pregnant women), special care must be taken to keep the bottles clean, as these people are more likely to become ill from molds and foodborne bacteria. That means washing it every day or after each use.

The best way to clean your bottle is with a special brush (like the bottle brush on Amazon.com ) and some kind of cleaning solution. The brush allows you to completely scrub the bottle so that it is completely clean. Just make sure the brush you buy can fit in the water bottles you have and don’t forget to clean the brush regularly.

The bottles can be washed with soap and water and then rinsed until the water runs clear. Or you can go one step further for a deeper cleaning. Soak it in a half vinegar, half water solution overnight, then rinse and wash in the morning. Vinegar is a known disinfectant and can help kill bacteria and mold that grows on packaging.

Also, try to keep it out of environments with high germ content , such as the bathroom or your gym bag, which can create more humidity.

And finally, after washing, let it dry overnight. Allowing your bottle to dry after each use can certainly alleviate the risk of mold and bacteria growth, but most people don’t remember to do so and often leave it with a little liquid overnight until their next workout.

What should you look for in a bottle of water?

Large opening

Make sure the bottle has an opening big enough for a brush to fit inside and not too high for it to reach the bottom. You want to be able to clean it thoroughly with the brush and have access to all parts, including the bottom and sides. Bacteria can form biofilms on the walls, and you want to be able to interrupt these biofilms and remove them with a brush.

Built-in straw

You may want to consider using a bottle with a built-in straw. A small study tested 12 bottles of water and found that a water bottle with a straw lid, where you drink water from a straw that stays upright the entire time, contained the least amount of bacteria.

Hands-free design

Avoid bottles where you have to use your hand to open the lid (as a pop-up option), making it even easier for germs from your hands to transfer to the bottle’s mouthpiece.

So how bad is it really never cleaning it?

Let’s face it: many of us have had a few sips from an unwashed bottle at some point and we’ve been fine. Initially, the symptoms of being exposed to bacteria and mold in the bottle can be subtle, and you may not even realize it came from the dirty bottle.

However, over time, these symptoms will get worse, and you can really get sick, have daily persistent gastric symptoms, or daily persistent allergy symptoms. Reserve a few minutes to wash your bottle! Prevention is better than cure, right?