Is Your Reusable Water Bottle A Hotbed For Harmful Bacteria & Mould? | Talking Point | Full Episode 

Frankly it’s no different from cleaning baby bottles…scrub and sterilise etc. I avoid “complicated” designs which are challenging to wash.

The survey lacks one option "I don't wash my bottles".

The irony is that people spend thousands of dollars on filtered water only to be drinking contaminated water from their very own water bottle.😂

Who went to wash their bottle right after this 🤣

Personally, I don't like using bottle brushes or sponges. Most of the water bottles are not straight in design especially at the neck. Most of them have curves for suiting the hands. Therefore, it's possible to have missing spots when comes to the curved areas. Wash clothes are more flexible and can cover more areas inside the bottles. The easiest way for getting rid of mold is to soak the water bottles with 1:99 ratio of vinegar. Soak the bottle and don't forget the lid. I usually soak my water bottles not only on the right side, I also soak it up side down for the lid. Then open the flap and soak the lid up side down mainly is for the drinking spout & the inside of the flap. It's time consuming but it should be clean enough to use. It's nothing when you have more than one water bottles for switching.

I swear you unlock new fear everytime😭

Should do a test if dishwasher washes the bottle cleaner... Dishwashers are becoming more popular in Singapore. It should be promoted for the water saving purposes.

A tip is pour the water out into a mug before drinking. I never drink directly from my reusable bottle in fridge. And please wash it daily when we refill it.

i’d never use steel bottles even if they are trendy, i only use glass. you can’t see mold growing at the bottom of your steel bottles but glass keeps everything on display; it keeps you accountable for cleaning. also a pretty big factor is sunlight killing bacteria that just doesn’t happen with steel bottles.

Finally I got my answer after 10 years. Thanks for the video. I like to have bottle with plain shape. Germs grow on corners and edges more because water stays on those corners.

one trick i use is to drink from the bottle without mouth contact to the spout and pouring it straight into my mouth. accidental spills do happen and of cos you still must wash often.

I’m surprised by how rare people wash their water bottles. Growing up I was taught to wash it everyday, thoroughly exactly like how it was shown in the video. Now that I’m older, I get lazy sometimes so I only wash it every 2-3 days and even then I feel like it’s pretty gross. I’m not judging, I’m just pretty surprised by the stats of how often people wash their bottles with soap. I’m also surprised that people think rinsing the water bottle does anything 😳

How about doing a video on commercial sealed water bottles that we purchase from stores like Dasani and others? Are they safe to drink? Do they contain harmful bacteria? Thanks!

this has enlightened my choices that impact my health. thank you.

good video and just in time as we are managing heat stress. I will be sharing with our group of parents and caregivers as well! thank you!

Hmm there was no mention about using boiling hot water to sanitize/clean the stainless steel bottles. Could that have worked?

Can you do an episode for gym equipments and yoga mats as well?

Steven 🎉🎉 I miss you so much. Please keep on appearing.

Loving this series.

Wash (not rinse) your tumblers/bottles like you wash your drinking cup. Especially the spout that is in contact with oily lips and other bacteria from the mouth.

You know you're a developed economy when your news investigation reports are 'when you don't wash your bottle, it gets dirty'... Real 1st world problem, achievement completed!

such a great video! perhaps we can check out the effectiveness of UV self-cleaning water bottles next?

19:27 and 21:22, are enlightening, thank you

Rinse and let it thoroughly dry out. No moisture, no bacteria/mold. You may need more than one container/bottle and alternate their usage.

conclusion: just use a drinking glass, less parts to accumulate grime/bacteria/mold, also increases your step count

Well this was awesome! First time I see a CNA Insider video, and I must say, I am impressed. Thank you for putting this together for us! I have a metal Lululemon bottle that I use for strictly water, but I haven't been cleaning it with soap often enough. I'll be sure to clean it thoroughly at least once every couple of days after watching this. 😊

THE SAF BOTTLE LOL BYE DED

I use my water bottle everyday and i've NEVER washed it......😂 Never got sick....YEt!

Hi Steve, thanks for an informative episode. 🙏🙏🙏 Cna I ask how’s the material Tritan (a BPA free plastic) does it promote the growth of bacteria? 😅

Finally, superstar Steve is back.

I noticed on the days I did not wash my bottle, I would usually get ulcer within a couple of days. Could be coincidence, but when I put in the effort to wash it daily, my ulcer rarely comes back. I have been using a glass bottle for over three years (although I do occasionally alternate with my metal bottle). It is heavy, but it feels more "atas" (LOL) and safer to me. But glad to know that it has the least chances of bacteria growth!

Thank you so much for sharing your precious experience 👍🤝

Yeah, i often bewildered by the weird taste i got from my water bottle back then when elementary school. Had no choice, mom gives me that and no drinkable water i could choose and no money to buy. And mom is always angry if i mentioned the bottle is funny. When i grow up i always emotional by the strange taste that i mentioned even if i thoroughly wash a bottle. I thought Lock and Lock bottles were okay, no they're not. I literally went into a crusade to buy a perfect water bottle. Which has a big cap to open so i could easily wash the inside. Rudimentary shape of the cap. No straw, no some kind of mouth. And it made of glass. And it worked. It is a Sanrio bottle. Not trying to advertise but it is the perfect water bottle. While i don't use it under microscope, it has no smell whatsoever after being used for years. If you wonder the shape is literally a glass like a lab beaker shape, with a cap of that cover that opening size for a maximum thorough cleaning. The only relief or motif shape is only at the cap screw. It is a kind of reinforced glass so it won't break when dropped. I personally never used any reusable drinking container anymore. Prefer the glass or one time use. The Sanrio bottle was for my mom. Searching the exact size to fit her bag was also painful.

I would love for you to do one on cutting boards if that video doesn't exist already.

Thank you, these videos are very informative and educational. Question, where can I send bottles or water samples for tests? I live in a 30-YO HDB flat and often wonder about the water quality coming into my flats from the very old water tanks and pipes. I use a Brita water jug and thought about whether I should get some kind of water filtration system in my home. Which is best and would really do the job?

Love steven and diana hosting.

I wonder if soaking the bottles in soap water for a few hours once a week, apart from rinsing it everyday of cos, will help reduce bacteria and mould growth. Brushing may not reach every nook and cranny, but I presume soaking should?

Drinking from my Hydroflask while watching this and I know for a fact that it can get quite disgusting between washes.

This is why households really need to invest in a decent dishwasher that washes to high temperature with thorough washing of rims and caps of bottles before putting it in the machine. It would help if charities or government could subside such purchases, as well, for hygiene reasons or if companies made them relatively cheap compared to other kitchen appliances.

I can’t believe how many people in this seem to assume water is enough to clean… Tap water is not sterile. While it is generally clean enough to drink, rinsing with alone will lead to buildup and mold, especially any areas touching your mouth. To thoroughly clean more than just soap should be used once a week, e.g. it should be rinsed with boiling water or used on the sanitary cycle in a dishwasher.

Yep I think they are. Doesn’t seem to matter how much boiling water or dish soap you use. I found caps problem on my expensive metal bottles. Especially part I cant reach easily to clean.

I would suggest testing a Stanley. It has many small components and so hard to clean.

The question should not be how much bacteria and mould is growing in absolute numbers, as we will not know if that number is clinically significant or not. For those individuals with the high bacteria and mould count, they seem to be very healthy as well. Perhaps all the numbers dont matter as well, unless we can see that those with the unclean bottles are actually getting sick more often from the bacteria found in their bottles.... who knows how long they have been doing that and still remain well....

We should probably test those jerry cans used in military camp, they are NEVER washed with soap and seldom rinsed by the soldiers using them.

Thanks!!!!

Unless anyone washes/uses a bottle like me, it is bound to have all sorts of dirt, mold and bacteria in it. I am very careful in selecting a bottle in the first place. It must have parts I can dismantle completely and clean thoroughly. Every part must be accessible. Bottles must also be sterilisable. And just pure distilled water must go in. Additionally, you must make sure you do not put the bottle on any unclean surface and your hands must be clean when handling the bottle. Sounds crazy, maybe. But that's how I like to do things.

Won't the brushes used by the water expert, too rough for the plastic bottles? Will it make tiny scratches and harbour bacteria?

Can you come out a topic about how often should you wash the bedsheets and towels? Thanks

Reason i always wash mine everyday and rinse it with hot water, need to thoroughly clean the rubber around the cap to avoid any mold😊

Aside from daily washing, its best to use wide mouth water bottles where you can easily reach the insides to clean. Also, consider designs with easily detachable parts such as gaskets to clean thoroughly. Japanese water bottles have the best designs functionality and hygiene wise.

All of these people who allowed their water bottle to be tested look very healthy. Their water bottles most likely did nothing harmful even if there was some bacteria and mold. We live in a world in which most living organisms are bacteria. Bacteria are everywhere including on and in our bodies. Exposure to large amounts of mold can cause symptoms such as sneezing and runny nose. The amounts of mold in these water bottles is miniscule.

anyone knows what that brush is called? 21:41

I have been using glass bottle. But I cannot understand why the inner glass always has a rough surface (prior to scrub/clean) whenever I pour out the water

That number comparison with the water bottle and the toilet is scary

this is why i never ever buy bottles with tons of weird contraptions, rubber straws, multiple cap openings. just 1 cap and an empty bottle. simple. i wonder why no one talks about that.

Cyanobacteria thrive with light as they can produce their own food via photosynthesis, so ideally you need a bottle without light penetration.

I can’t believe why I spend 20 minutes watching on a video that suggesting you to brush your tumbler with soap 😂 . My 3 years old baby sister knows it better that you should wash thoroughly everything that you used with water and soaps 🤣🤣

I do not use plastic bottles. I have glas and Metall bottles. I clean them in the dishwasher or with cleaning tabs for dentures.

In fact I've been looking for a water bottle wide enough to reach my hand in, without awkward internal corners, and with a simple lid. Having a bottle that's convenient to hand-wash with just a sponge would mean I clean it more. Protein shake jugs are already like this in a way but they never seem secure enough to just throw in a bag.

What about using more than 1 bottle? Clean and let it dries completely for at least two days so you will need around 3 containers. It is also much easier to spot biofilms when the container is dried. It is also easier to taste contaminants if you starts from a relatively clean container every time. Use glass if you can, plus glass can be coated with water and microwaved for a few minutes to wipe out many microbes. Other containers can be sanitize using different methods.

That Ms Trixie Ong was my English teacher back in junior college! 😆😆😆

i got cough and its not going away,then i figure about this...just rinsing seems not enough. i come back to nice sturdy plastic bottle from steel bottle,i put it to dishwasher weekly twice.

Love this episode. Went to wash everything after watching it. Next Please do an episode on how often to change our sponges? Be it body or dish sponges. Thanks!

We wash the water bottle inside out ( also the cover and spout) everyday and use the long brush to get to the bottom to wash it. Or even put it in the dish washer.

should do a similar segment for dishwashers, especially restaurants'

When I was young, a teacher taught us to put in a small amount of raw rice and add some water to the water bottle and shake it to get rid of mould and then rinse it thoroughly with hot water. It always work

Rinse the bottle often with vinegar.

Hi I always use stainless steel bottles and soak in boiling water for a short while every time I top up the bottle. Does it do the trick? I think so. But would like to know the efficacy.

Any recommended cleaning tablet? I found some online but also afraid it might be harmful.

The water quality expert provided the crucial point of hygiene: at 8:40 he says “…once we bring the bottle to our mouth and drink…” As a water quality expert, I do not touch my mouth to the bottle. I either pour the water into my mouth without contact, or for a squirt bottle I squirt water into my cheek (squirting directly into one’s mouth might result in choking) avoiding contact with the bottle tip. Yes, pouring water into my mouth without touching the bottle probably appears awkward. Yes, I have occasionally poured too much water. Practice improves performance.

I use baking soda instead detergent to wash it, is this method good enough

Thanks for the informative show. Mine should be better as I pour water into my mouth from my water bottle. No physical contact with my mouth.

i have 3 shaker bottles that i alternate between because i use them everyday. i also got a special brush to clean the lids because i did notice that they would form mould in the cap... and that has gone away ever since i used the brush.. so this is very validating lol

Some entrepreneurs need to solve this, you will win big

How about using hot water (80dc) to rinse the metal bottle?

I have a Sodastream and rinse my bottle each time I fill it, sometimes use soap as well. About once a week I run the bottle in dishwasher where it's washed in 60-70°C water for at least 2 hours (length and temperature depends on which program I run)

Clean thoroughly then dry under the hot sun to disinfect further. Washing should be daily and frequently after emptying. Just put water, not juice, coffee or milk.

Plain and simple, don't use plastic bottles - stainless steel all the way. Also clean your bottles on a regular basis.

Was the dring water tested at various locations. Is the water chlorinated or UV treated?

Wait, so does soaking everything in soapy water for sometimes kill off bacteria? Yes I do know we have to scrap it later but does soaking really work?

"Potentially harmful", but near nobody has died from drinking refrigerated bottled water.

Mold is bad but is it that bad to some traces of bacteria in our bottle? I also feel like if we’re hyper sterile, our body would no longer be acclimated to fending off germs. Just wondering.

The real culprit is limescale, so even if you clean it well, the bacteria develop much more quickly in proportion to the age of the bottle.

I'm happy that this video came out coz it justifies my OCD to clean and sterilise my water bottles everyday 😂 Also coz my water bottles are expensive la 🤭😅😅😅 I take apart everything and assemble it back once it all dries. Those that I don't use often, I do it once a week. My bf said I'm crazy 😂 but I know how dirty water bottles can be 🤮🤮 That's why I only use less complicated designs. I know the 0w4la water bottle has been a hype, but hell no I will buy it coz there are too many parts to disassemble and clean.

To Steven Chia & His Team - Suggestion: Please do a take on how the Bus Apps (Bus Buddy, SBS Transit, etc.) work and why they seem to show wrong timings, or the arrival times at a bus stop keeps shifting, etc. I think this would be of some interest to many commuters who depend of such apps to plan a small part their lives.

What about sterilizing? I have a stainless steel bottle and my normal daily wash consists of pouring till full with boiling water, rinse, repeat, then a last time shaking with boiling water and finally passing the mouth and cap in a bath of boiling water. Normally the rinse with soap only on weekends.

16:14 Pseudonomadota is a phylum containing many species of bacteria, including normal commensals and environmental (non-harmful) bacteria species. This is not to be confused with the genus Pseudomonas, which can be opportunistic pathogen. Throughout the video the two were used interchangeably, which is misleading. Dr Adison should clarify this with the CNA team before publishing these factual mistake.

Yes. Reduce it by drinking from the bottle by pouring it into you mouth. Don't drink from it like a glass. You kinda levitate it a bit in the air and pour the water into your mouth. Your bottle will stay fresh longer.

My goodness Look at the water running from the tap

Thanks for this. I need one of those tablets!!!!

What about water dispensers? Nowadays the tank is made of plastic. How often are we supposed to wash those??

Use steel, wide mouth, simple structure bottles. Easiest to keep clean.

You need to clean water bottle with hot soapy water and take out all the parts and grommets. Use a small brush to scrub all the small spaces and inside cap. After a hot rinse, completely air dry all the parts. Clean water bottle every day.

This justifies why I continuously order 1.5L distilled water from Amazon.

Would soaking the water bottle and its parts in hot water after rinsing kill off bacteria and mould?

The Komodo Dragon is unaffected by any kind of bacteria. These animals drink water from anywhere. :)

Finally I know why my water bottle got mold

21:22 I can imagone lot of people's being amazed that cleansing their bottle is possible 😱

Any difference with metal bottles vs plastic?

What if we don't drink directly from the bottle or try pouring water into our mouth without any part of our mouth touching the warer bottle?