But its important to clean reusable water bottlesincluding the beloved Stanley Cupsconsistently, according to experts.
Most are not likely to cause an illness, but they can definitely make your water bottle gross.
Only 20% of people said they cleaned their water bottles multiple times each day.
Photo Illustration by Amelia Manley for Verywell Health; Getty Images
The problem with not washing it would be potential contamination by a disease-causing organism, he explained.
Not washing on a regular basis would definitely increase the risk of contamination.
You do not want to reuse it without cleaning.
If youre guilty of going weeksor longerwithout cleaning your water bottle, that doesnt mean its irredeemable.
you might simply start cleaning it consistently to avoid risk.
Exactly how often you clean your water bottle may depend onhowyou clean it, Banerjee added.
Dishwashers will do more comprehensive cleaning that the hands cant actually do, he said.
All can become dirty after multiple days of use, Banerjee said.
Therefore, the frequency with which you wash your water bottle shouldnt change depending on what kind youre using.
A good suggestion is to disassemble the parts to ensure they all get clean, Snyder said.
Your choice of detergent doesnt matter; all the household dishwashing detergents do a wonderful job, Banerjee said.
Soap and water is hard to beat.
This may mean its time to consider buying a new reusable water bottle.
Those would be the cues I would use to decide its no longer cleanable.
They can also cause unpleasant side effects like a bad smell in your water bottle.
To avoid these circumstances, you should clean your water bottle consistently.
If youre only drinking water from it, washing it every five to seven days may be safe.
WaterFilterGuru.com.Swabbing water bottles: how clean is the water you drink?.
