Is My Water Bottle Straw Clean?
Caroline Samuelsen
| 3 min read
Stanley, Owala and Yeti water bottles are all the craze these days. With their stainless-steel exterior, insulated interior, and the best part - a straw. Water bottles are traveling everywhere with you and collecting the germs from places you go. From errands to work to an outdoor soccer game on the weekends, your water bottle straw is picking up bacteria in those areas.
Stanleys and similar products are the biggest perpetrators of this. With their exposed plastic straw, there is a higher chance that it is collecting more bacteria.
Signs of bacteria or mildew on a straw
If you start to see small white or black splotches in your straw or bottle, that is a sign that mildew is growing. Mildew is a base for mold growth. It grows in damp environments, so a water bottle is a perfect place for mildew to form. If you ingest mildew from your water bottle or straw, there could be health effects ranging from an allergic reaction to digestive issues.
Here is the best method to clean your water bottle to prevent bacteria and germs from staying in your water bottle straw:
How To Properly Clean your Water Bottle and Straw
Follow these easy steps to clean and dry out your water bottle and straw.
1. Disassemble your Bottle
Detach all parts of your water bottle including the cap, the straw, or other parts unique to your bottle.
2. Soak the Parts of Bottle in Warm Water
Make a warm water bath in your sink with a bit of dish soap to loosen up the dirt in your bottle. Optionally, add white vinegar to the water for extra cleaning power. Bleach can also be used. Add 1/3 cup of bleach per gallon of water and let the bottle and straw soak for 6 minutes.
3. Scrub Parts of Bottle with a Bristle Brush
Use a soft bristle brush or a toothbrush and scrub each part of the water bottle. Purchasing a water bottle straw brush can help you reach every part of the straw.
4. Rinse Everything with Clean Water
This step is important to make sure there is not any lingering soap or bleach.
5. Dry Everything
Focus on drying every piece of the bottle to ensure nothing is left damp, which can cause mold, mildew or bacteria to grow.
Clean your water bottle once a day to rinse out the bacteria that you collected. Once you are done using your bottle for the day, take it apart and use our step-by-step cleaning process to prepare it for the next day's use.
Image: Getty Images
