It’s very common to carry around your reusable water bottle everywhere you go, and since it’s only you using it, so it’s not a big deal to not wash it all the time or just rinse and go.
But did you know that according to a new study, reusable water bottles can carry up to 40,000 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat?
According to Scarymommy.com, when a swab was done on the spout and top lid straw, it was found that there was a significant amount of gram-negative rods and bacillus bacteria.
Reusable Water Bottle Shocker
The spout top and screw top lids of a reusable water bottle contained the most bacteria, with 30 million CFUs each. And guess what, when compared with other household items like kitchen sinks, computer mice, toilet bowls, and dog bowls, the reusable water bottle still had the most bacteria!
The remedy? Wash your water bottle every single day. According to a survey, only 42% of 1,000 Americans washed their water bottle daily. Gen Z cleaned their bottles the least.
Microbiologist Miriam Z Wahrman said in an interview with Reader’s Digest that germs and microbes, including bacteria, viruses and fungi – thrive in moist, warm environments like reusable water bottles.
Contamination
“Contaminated water bottles can transmit pretty much anything you can catch from casual contact with another person. That’s not to say that every germ you encounter will make you sick, because we have immunity and other barriers to germs, like our stomach acid, for instance that kill microbes. But being exposed needlessly to unknown microbes could increase your risk of disease.”
How do you make sure a reusable water bottle is clean and sanitized? Good Housekeeping Institute’s Carolyn E. Forte says, “You’ll want to use soap and hot water to get rid of germs. And pay special attention to the nooks and crannies in the cap. Germs have been found in these caps even after washing if they aren’t washed thoroughly enough.”
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