WATER BOTTLE HYGIENE

Let’s face it, washing water bottles is often a once-a-week affair in most Indian households. Our excuse? “But it’s just water no.”  Nope, it really really isn’t. It’s the perfect home for our good old bacterial friends, so it is no surprise that they need daily cleaning. 

This is also a good pit-stop for all you runners and fitness bugs out there, we have some news about your trustworthy gym bottle. A look at the findings by Treadmill Reviews might put things into perspective. It has rather bluntly stated that taking a swig from your bottle might way worse than licking your dog’s toy (yes, we know, yuck!)

The research was conducted on four different types of bottles - squeeze top, slide top, screw top and straw bottles. They all belonged to athletes and had not been washed in over a week. Swabs were taken from each and tested. It stated that on average bottles contained about 300,000 bacteria cells per square centimeter.

CLEANING BIOFILM

Keeping reusable bottles are eco-friendly but they need to be looked after. Cleaning the mouth of the bottle isn’t enough, it’s the inside that has the potential to get gross. Ever felt something slimy lining the inner surface when you finally decide to give your bottle a well-deserved scrub? Meet, biofilm.

Biofilm is the accumulation of microorganisms and can consist of diverse communities of bacteria and fungi. Bacteria from your mouth due to backwash and the outside world meet here to form biofilm. 

To be clear, the bacteria from your mouth isn’t the one to harm you but when it mixes with alien bacteria from your hands, the environment you’re in, sweat, dust, and other particles floating around, now that has the potential to make you sick. Gastrointestinal disease being your worst enemy.

Here are some things to remember when it comes to cleaning your water bottle the right way. 

First things first

Don’t procrastinate on it, try to make it a daily task. The secret lies in cleaning it both inside and out. A bottle brush will come in handy here. If your bottle is made of several parts make sure you wash separately.

Mild Liquid Dishwash

For everyday washing, you’ll need these ingredients - warm water, dishwashing liquid, and a bottlebrush. 

• Fill the bottle with warm water, add a few drops of Koparo’s Dishwashing Liquid, cap it, and shake it well. 
• Now, use a bottle brush to reach all the nooks and corners. 
• Scrub on the outside and the mouth of the bottle (this part’s important). 
• Rinse well and dry with a fresh paper towel.

Voila! Fresh and clean with no bad bacteria and no toxic residue.

Distilled White Vinegar 

Using vinegar is also an excellent way to kill bacteria. This is especially useful for stainless-steel bottles.

• Fill bottle half with vinegar and half with cool water
• Let this sit overnight
• Rinse well with warm water and let dry

Importance of a Clean Bottle Brush

It is super important to keep your bottle brush clean and dry. For the best result, keep replacing your brush every few months, they also tend to accumulate dirt over time. This avoids further contamination. To clean your brush, take warm water in a bowl, add a few drops of Koparo’s Dishwashing Liquid and a spoon of vinegar. Leave this in for a while and wash it well with water. Allow it to air dry. Store your brush in a clean and dry stand or hang it up on a wall away from dampness. 

Switch to Stainless Steel Bottles

Make these your safest bet against icky germs. For starters, they are also the easiest to clean. Stainless steel is naturally anti-bacterial and doesn’t scratch easily. Plastic bottles on the other hand may get nicked, this is where the bacteria settles which makes it an impossible task to clean it thoroughly. Additionally, bottles with wider mouths also allow better cleaning.

Do you know?

We often leave plastic bottles in the car where it is in the direct exposure of sun. Such heating releases a toxin called Dioxin which when consumed can accelerate breast cancer.

Happy and safe cleaning!