Like many people, Carl Behnke regularly carries a water bottle with him throughout the day. Behnke rarely goes from the office to the gym and back home without it. But Behnke is also an associate professor in Purdue University’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, and when he discovered a “biofilm” on the inside of his water bottle while cleaning it, it set his mind in motion. “I realized that I probably wasn’t being as careful as I should be when it came to cleaning my water bottle,” he explains. “And that made me curious: If someone who knows about food safety isn’t diligent, what about everyone else?”
This question led to a Study, The study, conducted by Behnke and a cohort of academics and scientists, examined how the level of contamination of reusable bottles affects usage and cleaning behavior. The group set out to measure the level of contamination of water bottles and understand how this level is influenced by usage and cleaning behavior. If you are drink water regularly For example, from a reusable bottle, their results may cause you to reconsider your own water bottle handling practices.
Change your habits
Carrying a reusable water bottle throughout the day is good for you—and good for your health Environment– Neglecting care could have negative consequences. “Do you wash your dishes after dinner?” Behnke asks. “Yes. But we often carry water bottles everywhere and don’t clean them properly.”
Maybe you rinse your bottle, but if you don’t wash it thoroughly as often as you should, you’ll be surprised at what forms on the surface and inside. The study consisted of two survey sections completed by water bottle users. The first set of questions focused on the type and age of the bottle they used, as well as what they put in it (Water, Energy drinksetc.) and frequency of use. The second section focused on cleaning behavior, from method to frequency.
Essentially, Behnke says, typical water bottle use contains all the ingredients that promote bacterial growth: moisture, contamination, and often warm temperatures. Dr. Yuriko Fukuta, assistant professor of medicine – infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine, agrees. “We touch our water bottles with our mouths and hands all the time, so it’s easy to transfer bacteria to them and then they just grow,” she says. “In some cases, this can make you sick, especially if you have a weaker immune system.”
Fukuta suspected that the bacteria could be staphylococci or streptococci. And there is something else from the cohort study: “More than 20% of our samples contained coliform bacteria, i.e. feces,” says Behnke.
Proper care and cleaning of water bottles
If you want to get rid of all the bacteria right on your water bottle, there are a few do’s and don’ts you should keep in mind:
- Fill your bottles with only water to reduce bacterial growth. Energy drinks, tea or other powder and other additives only increase the likelihood of bacterial growth.
- Keep your water bottles away from places where they could heat up. “Don’t leave your water bottle in the car and then drink from it,” says Fukuta. “Warm temperatures and time accelerate the growth of germs.”
- Rinse it out after each daily use, recommends Behnke.
- Wash it thoroughly once a week, preferably by hand and with a special bottle brush. When you’re done, leave it upside down on a drying rack to dry completely – don’t put your bottles away wet.
- Avoid sharing water bottles with others. “If it’s your saliva and just water, it’s not a big problem,” Behnke says. “But when you share something, you introduce other contaminants.”
The best type of water bottle to curb bacterial growth
According to Fukuta, the best options are bottles with wide mouths that are easy to clean and dry, and those with an integrated straw that keeps your hands away as much as possible.
If your goal is to prevent your water bottle from turning into a breeding ground for germs, the simplest approach is Behnke’s, which he modified after conducting the research. “I rinse my bottle once a day,” he says, “and wash it once a week with a good detergent, bottle brush and spray Clorox bleaching.”
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