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HEALTH – How often do you wash your water bottle? Weekly ? Once a month ? Let's be honest: never? Either way it's not enough.
Water bottles have become increasingly popular in recent years. They are better for the environment and health than plastic bottles and also impress with their increasingly original design. Your main mistake? They get dirty quickly and are difficult to clean.
“Mold thrives in moist environments,” says Dr. Wanda Phipatanakul, an immunologist who studies environmental allergens at Children's Hospital Boston, in a New York Times article.
As you can see in the video at the top of the articleIf water sits stagnant in your bottle for several days, fungus may develop there. According to the New York Times, there are molds of the type Cladosporium, known for its dark green or brown appearance, Penicillium with its blue or green hues, Aspergillus, which can develop in the form of white, yellow or green spots, or Stachybotrys, which appear in the form of black dots.
One wash per day
In addition to these fungi, bacteria can colonize your bottle. They come into contact with your mouth from the neck or from the residue when you fill the container with something other than water.
Don't panic, most of these microorganisms are known to your body and it knows how to eliminate them. However, be wary of people with weaker immune systems, for whom ingestion of these pathogens can trigger allergies, headaches or stomach aches, says a 2016 study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
So if you notice your water bottle is dirty, wash it immediately. And even if it looks clean, it is advisable to wash the bottle every day or at least once a week.
To clean it properly, simply run warm water and soap into it and then scrub it with a brush or swab. You can also put it in the dishwasher if you have one.
And if you decide to wash your bottle for the first time after reading this article, you can find tons of tips on how to clean your bottle on the TikTok platform. For example, this TikToker uses white vinegar.
See also on HuffPost:
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