AILIN GALAXY

HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU WASH YOUR WATER BOTTLE

Monday, Jul,18th 2022

Using a reusable bottle is one of the best things you can do for the environment. It helps to keep up to 167 plastic bottles out of landfills a year, per person and keeps your water cold and fresh all day. Whether you’re using glass, BPA-free plastic or stainless steel bottle doesn’t matter as they all help to reduce your impact on the environment.

But how often should you wash a reusable water bottle? We can probably guarantee it’s more than you currently do…


Fun fact: you should be washing your reusable water bottle after every use.  


No, we aren’t joking. Many people go weeks without washing their water bottles because they don’t look dirty and it’s just water right? Well, looks can be deceiving. Bacteria grows in dark, moist environments and a closed water bottle makes the inside a perfect breeding ground for bacteria. Because of this, you should wash your bottle at the end of each day of use and, if you start to notice a slimy film or a bad smell, it’s definitely time to clean it!


WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DON’T CLEAN YOUR BOTTLE?


If you fail to clean your water bottle out, there can be some unpleasant side effects. 

Thanks to the nice, moist environment inside the bottle, bacteria will grow in abundance. This bacteria can leave a bad taste in your mouth - quite literally. It can make your water taste and smell pretty unpleasant but it can also make you unwell which is another incentive to keep the bottle clean.


If left for even longer, you may find that mould will start to grow in your bottle as well. This can cause a number of health issues so if this happens, make sure you give it really good clean. Check out our blog for tutorials on how to get rid of mould in a water bottle.


HOW TO CLEAN A REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE


Good old soap and warm water should be enough to make sure your bottle is squeaky clean. For an extra good clean though, use a bottle brush to help remove any gunk at the very bottom of the bottle and give the inside a really thorough scrub. 


It’s recommended that you leave the water bottle to dry completely before you use it again though to help prevent the growth of bacteria.


If, after cleaning it, your water bottle still has a smell, you can make a solution of 50/50 baking soda and water before pouring it in your water bottle and leaving to soak for 10 minutes. Wash thoroughly with warm water a soap before allowing it to dry out and use again.