Yes, You Should Clean That Water Bottle, and Here’s How

Does your water bottle only get washed once or twice a week — or even less? Time to switch things up: Even a day or two without washing can encourage the growth of unhealthy germs in the average water bottle, one expert says. And, “yes, you could get sick,” warns  Dr. Yuriko Fukuta, an infectious diseases expert at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. “If you do not clean your water bottle sufficiently, it can lead to a buildup of germs,” Fukuta, a professor of medicine, explained in a university news release. “You may have nausea, stomach upset, headaches. You may have allergy symptoms such as sneezing if mold is present.” How to clean your bottle So what is the best way to clean your bottle? Dr. Fukuta offers tips for keeping your water bottle as sanitary as possible. 1. Choose the right bottle. First off, choose the right type of bottle. Metal or glass beats plastic, Dr. Fukuta says, because plastic can develop tiny cracks that are a haven for germs. 2. Choose a larger-mouthed bottle. Choose larger-mouthed bottles, because they’re much easier to clean, and bottles with built-in straws work best, with one study showing they contained less...