In a bid to be more sustainable (and make our lives more convenient), more people than ever are opting to use reusable water bottles over plastic water bottles. But you might be wondering how often you should actually wash your bottle.
Here’s what you need to know.
How often should you wash your water bottle?
Your bottle can harbour bacteria and build up, so washing it is essential. But how often you wash your water bottle is highly dependent on how often you use it. Health.com says that it’s important to wash your reusable water bottle on a regular basis, but whether that’s daily or every few days depends on how you use it.
Martin Bucknavage, senior food safety extension program specialist at Penn State University, told Health that forgoing washes increases the risk of microbes gathering inside your bottle.
“Any time a bottle isn’t clean and there’s moisture in that bottle, that is always going to support the growth of microorganisms like bacteria and mould,” he says.
How to wash your water bottle
Washing your water bottle in a dishwasher will save you some time and is probably the easiest way to clean a bottle, as long as it’s dishwasher safe. But make sure the opening is wide enough for the dishwasher to fully clean the interior.
You can also hand wash your bottle, but aim to clean it as thoroughly as possible. Bucknavage advises people to use soap and scrubbing tools like bottle brushes to make sure bottles are squeaky clean. And to reach inside the tiny grooves and crevices where “bacteria like to hang out,” such as the bottle’s cap.
Try using a toothbrush or straw cleaner brushes.
Sanitising your bottle using hot water, white vinegar and water, or a diluted chlorine solution can be helpful, Bucknavage advises, though it’s not necessary if you’re only using it for water and washing it daily.
