Bacillus breeder: how clean is your water bottle, really?

It’s that time of year again: New Year’s resolutions, ahoy. Instead of exercising more, I’ve resolved to clean my water bottle more often. And what I really mean by «more often» is «correctly». Basically, I’ll stop turning a blind eye when I come home after a workout and already know that I'll be back at it the next morning. It’s decided: from now on, I’ll rinse out my half-full bottle and clean it before it returns to my gym bag. The same goes for the bottle I use at work, even though freedom calls. I’ll just have to invest this little bit of extra time.

Scientists have discovered an average of 300,000 colony-forming units of bacteria per square centimetre per water bottle. For comparison, the study mentions the average pet toy has just under 3,000 bacterial units per square centimetre.
Overall, it doesn't matter if you have a model made of aluminium, glass or plastic. If you don’t clean your drinking container regularly, germs can multiply in it. Period. It’s as simple as that. If you notice slime or a stench coming from your bottle, that’s a surefire sign of bacterial growth. To prevent this from happening in the first place, proper care is essential.

Basic cleaning

To clean your drinking bottle from common residue, all you need is hot water, dish soap and a bottle brush. Pour the water into the bottle, add some dish soap, screw the lid on and shake the whole thing. Use a brush to remove any debris inside the bottle. Finally, dry it with a clean dish towel. Avoid using wet cloths. They’re a breeding ground for germs. The same applies to wet surfaces, which also promote bacterial growth. This is why you should only close the drinking container once the inside has dried. You can let it air dry. Simply place it upside down and at a slight angle on a flat surface to dry.

Cleaning tablets

As soon as the residue is a bit more stubborn or your bottle starts stinking, I recommend using cleaning tablets. A denture cleaner will also do the trick. Fill your bottle with water, throw in the cleaning tablet and let it soak. Check the packaging for the recommended duration. Don’t forget the lid and separate mouthpiece if your bottle has one. A particularly large number of germs are found on the latter, because your lips come into direct contact with it. So, unscrew the lid if it's made of several parts, put it in a bowl of warm water and add in a cleaning tablet. When it’s done soaking, rinse everything under running water. And don’t forget to let it dry!
This method is suitable for all typical reusable bottles and should be repeated every two to three months if the bottle is used daily.

Dishwasher

To disinfect your water bottle once a week, I recommend using the dishwasher. But be careful: not all bottles are made to be put in the dishwasher. Check the manufacturer’s specifications and keep the shape of the bottle in mind: the wider the neck, the better. It should be wide enough for a good amount of water to get into the bottle during the dishwashing cycle.
If your model meets these criteria, place it upside down in the dishwasher and select the hygiene or intensive program. After that, let the inside of your bottle dry before screwing the lid on. If you ignore the manufacturer's instructions and still put the bottle in the dishwasher, it may get deformed. Worst-case scenario is it’ll leak afterwards.

Boil out

Don't own a dishwasher and want to sanitise your water bottle? No problem. You can also boil it out in hot water of at least 80 degrees. Put your bottle and the lid or any other parts in the water bath for about three minutes to kill off the germs. Can you guess what comes next? Correct: let the bottle & co. dry.
Again, note that not all water bottles are heat resistant. This method is suitable for models made of stainless steel or glass.

As a general rule, it’s better to be safe than sorry. So, be sure to check the manufacturer's information before deciding on a model and cleaning method. Bottles that are heat resistant are ideal so you can «professionally» clean them once a week. And if you also wash your hands before filling up your water bottle and then wash the bottle by hand (and the brush) after each use, you’re sure to get the Reign of Bacteria under control.

Do you have any other tips? Let me know in the comments.