Here’s Why You Definitely Want To Wash Your Water Bottle More
[Photo: Getty]
Reduce, reuse, recycle. That’s what our teachers told us in year nine geography.
But watch out, while you’re saving the Earth you’re probably also dosing up on some pretty grimy germs.
Research by treadmillreviews found that that water bottle you’ve been lugging around in your hand bag for weeks is covered in nasties and drinking from it could be as unhygienic as licking your loo.
[Photo: Getty]
Researchers studied water bottles that had been used by athletes over the course of a week. The average amount of bacteria was found to be 313,499 CFU per square cm (that’s colony forming units, for those of you who aren’t in the know).
The grimiest bottle had 900,000, making it more germ-ridden than a toilet. The average pet toy only has 2937.
The grim state of our bottles is caused by not washing them, sweat and ordinary daily germs. To make matters worse, 60% of the germs found were able to make people sick.
Some water bottles were found to be worse than others, with slide-top bottles being the most germ-ridden, straw-tops the cleanest and screw-tops somewhere in between. Stainless steel bottles were also found to be more hygienic than plastic bottles.
All in all, it’s probably time you binned that trusty Evian bottle. Go on, buy yourself a Thermos flask. You’re an adult now, after all.
