Water bottles are among the most popular, functional accessories. While keeping yourself hydrated throughout the day is crucial, it’s important to not overlook cleaning your bottle. Dr. Yuriko Fukuta, assistant professor of medicine – infectious diseases, explains the effects of a dirty water bottle.
Question: Can you get sick if you haven’t cleaned your water bottle?
Answer: Yes, you could get sick. If you do not clean your water bottle sufficiently, it can lead to a buildup of germs. You may have nausea, stomach upset, headaches. You may have allergy symptoms such as sneezing if mold is present.
Q: What kind of germs are in your water bottle?
A: Bacteria in your mouth can get into your bottle if you drink directly from your bottle. Food particles from your mouth can transfer to your bottle and create a good environment for mold growth. Bacteria and molds from your hands can also get into your bottle. Not all of the germs are harmful, but you could get sick at some point if you keep getting exposed to many germs.
Q: How frequently should you clean your water bottle and straw?
A: It is better to clean after each use. Skipping a wash sometimes may not cause problems, but do not make it a habit.
Q: How should you clean your bottle?
A: You can clean it with the dishwasher or by hand. Run the dishwasher using hot water and a heated drying cycle. If you clean by hand:
Keeping bottles dry is very important to inhibit bacteria growth. Clean and dry your brush as well.
Q: What happens if you don’t clean your bottle enough?
A: There should be germs at some level all the time if your bottle is not sterilized. Not cleaning your bottle between uses can let the germs grow in your bottle.
Q: Does glass, plastic or metal matter?
A: Metal and glass are generally better than plastic because plastic can form small cracks where bacteria can stay more easily. Even metal bottles need to be cleaned because their antibacterial capacity is not sufficient at all. Single-use plastic bottles are not recommended for re-use because the shape of bottle is difficult to clean and the chemicals used in the plastic bottles, such as BPA, can leach out into beverages in subsequent uses.
Q: Should you wipe the mouthpiece with a paper towel?
A: It can be helpful to prevent germ growth by keeping the mouthpiece dry.
Q: If you leave a water bottle in the car for a few days, can you still drink it?
A: Please do not! It can be very warm inside the car. Warm temperature and time accelerate the growth of germs.
Q: Are there less germs if you only put water in your bottle instead of other beverages?
A: Yes. If beverages contain sugar (e.g., sports drinks or juice), it accelerates the growth of germs. Also, the pH of the beverages can affect the growth of germs.
Q: Which kind of water bottle is best?
A: The best type of bottle includes:
Learn more about Baylor Medicine Infectious Diseases.
By Homa Warren
It works on hard-to-clean products and especially those that can’t go in the dishwasher: water bottles, growlers, tumblers, insulated coffee cups, coffee pots, thermoses, hydration reservoirs, sports caps, lids, straws, bite valves and whatever else you can think of. Your favorite products from Swell, Camelbak, HydroFlask, Yeti, HydraPak, Thermos, Miir, Stanley, etc. are perfect for Bottle Bright!
Stainless steel, glass, silicone, Polypropylene (plastic), Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU), & HDPE.
Fill a bowl full of water, add the item you would like to clean, disassemble it if necessary, add a Bottle Bright tablet, let it sit for 15–30 min and rinse.
It will remove stubborn coffee and tea stains & restore the original finish of your bottle. Other than that, it won’t change the finish.
Safety was our #1 concern when creating Bottle Bright. It is made from only plant and mineral based ingredients that are not harmful to humans or the environment.
It doesn’t leave any sort of film, residue or taste.
Nope. Just add water and a Bottle Bright tablet and let it do it’s thing.
Use hot water & let it stand overnight. Or throw in an extra tablet.
tablets should I use
?One tablet is good for one liter of water.
Yes, all 12 are individually wrapped in 1 resealable package. We also have a Bulk Pack that does not use single-use wrappers.
Ingredients are sourced from plant and mineral based elements in the USA and made by HydraPak in Oakland, CA.
Nope. It will just lose its effectiveness if it is not stored it in a cool, dry place.
Bottle Bright is safe and made with plant and mineral based ingredients so should not result in any issues if accidentally consumed. If anything, the most noticeable symptom would likely be gastrointestinal distress. A potential solution would be to ingest more clean water to dilute the liquid. If a large volume of cleaner is consumed and you feel unwell, take the following first aid measures. Rinse mouth immediately and drink plenty of water (never give anything by mouth to an unconscious person). Do not induce vomiting. Call a physician or local poison control center. For reference, a full list of ingredients is listed on our website and product packaging.
Bottle Bright is safe and made with plant and mineral based ingredients so should not result in any issues if accidentally consumed. If anything, the most noticeable symptom would likely be gastrointestinal distress. A potential solution would be to ingest more clean water to dilute the liquid. If your pet or child appears unwell, take the following first aid measures. Rinse mouth immediately and drink plenty of water (never give anything by mouth to an unconscious person). Do not induce vomiting. Call a physician or local poison control center. For reference, a full list of ingredients is listed on our website and product packaging.
A complete list of ingredients is listed on our website and the product packaging. In addition, you can view our MSDS.
Bottle Bright is safe and effective for removing normal dirt and smells from baby bottles and containers. Please be sure to rinse bottles after cleaning.
Bottle Bright is safe and effective for removing normal dirt and smells from dog bowls and pet-food containers. Please be sure to rinse after cleaning.
Bottle Bright may reduce or eliminate rust but results have not been clinically verified.
Yes. Bottle Bright has been tested and is safe for use with aluminum, steel, silicone, plastic, or glass. Bottle Bright has a fairly neutral pH, and the components in your device should not be adversely affected.
In our testing, increased cleaning results are best achieved using very hot water, and by leaving the cleaner in contact for a longer period of time (overnight). The recommended dosage is 1-tablet per quart (liter) of water.
For best performance, Bottle Bright tablets need to be kept dry. The tablet efficacy is downgraded if the tablet is exposed to moisture and the effervescence is diminished. We feel that the foil wrappers are mindful packaging because 1) film uses the smallest amount of material (by weight) to package the tablets, and 2) by using foil we eliminate the need to add a separate desiccant pouch or pellet. The majority of packaging (again by weight) for Bottle Bright is the recyclable cardboard carton. We try to be aware of the full life cycle of all of our products, and to minimize packaging and impact whenever possible. We are constantly looking for any packaging improvements that allow for both product efficacy and minimized impact.
Sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate (CAS# 15630-89-4)
Carbonic acid sodium salt (1:2) (CAS# 497-19-8)
Sodium silicate SiO2/Na2O (CAS# 1344-09-08)
Sodium Bicarbonate NaHCO3 (CAS# 144-55-8)
Citric Acid (CAS# 77-92-9)
Microcrystalline Cellulose (CAS# 9004-34-6)
Poly (itaconic acid, sodium salt) (CAS# 26099-89-8)
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate (CAS# 38517-23-6)
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate (CAS# 29923-31-7 / 42926-22-7)