In 2019, like every middle and high school girl, I fell victim to the VSCO girl Hydro Flask trend. It was refreshing not to lug around heavy cases of bottled water and contribute to overflowing recycling bins during soccer practice or leave half-drunk bottles around the house, forgetting to finish one before opening another. While I found myself more mindful of my waste, one daunting task remained: wash day.

is fast and efficient, but when it comes to the straw, too often, convenience is chosen over thoroughness. This raises the question: How often should you clean your ? The mental inclination might be to overlook it, especially when the exterior is adorned with stickers from travels, your favorite bands, or ones you found at a thrift store. However, despite the risk to your sticker collection, cleaning your reusable water bottle daily or within a few days of use is essential.

For the mouthpiece, daily cleansing is recommended. How to give your bottles a proper cleaning While reusable water bottles reduce plastic waste and benefit the environment, regular cleaning is crucial. Germs, bacteria, and mold can thrive, especially after sharing sips with friends or forgetting about the bottle for a few days.

Since liquids are usually left in your bottle for the entirety of the day and it remains wet almost always, giving mold and bacteria a perfect breeding ground to grow. If you find yourself in this situation, empty the water bottle and wash it with hot water and soap, or use a v.