Phillip beats Holly in water bottle challenge

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Plastic water bottles are a massive contributor to plastic pollution. An estimated 20,000 single-use plastic bottles are made worldwide every single second. These plastic bottles never fully decompose which means the most earth-friendly alternative is a reusable water bottle.

Reusable water bottles are a key part of the world’s fight against plastic.

In the UK, 38.5 million plastic bottles are used daily, with more than 15m not being recycled.

Britons are advised to drink between six and eight glasses of water each day, which means keeping a reusable water bottle nearby should help to encourage you to drink enough water.

To get the best out of your bottle, you should be sure to clean it regularly to keep it free of bacteria.

How often should you clean your water bottle?

You should wash your water bottle once a day because bacteria thrives in moist environments.

For daily cleaning the washing up liquid method is probably best.

For a more thorough cleaning, which you should undertake if your bottle has an unpleasant smell, you should take a more intensive cleaning process such as using bleach and vinegar.

How to clean your reusable water bottle

Washing up liquid

One of the easiest ways to clean a water bottle is to fill the emptied bottle with hot water and a few drops of washing up liquid.

Place the cap on your water bottle and then give it a vigorous shake.

Inside suds should form, but you should simply pour these away and then use a bottle brush to reach inside your bottle.

Scrub the inside of your bottle with the bottle brush and then rinse it out until you no longer see any soap bubbles.

Allow your water bottle to dry thoroughly.

Make sure you also wash the lid and pay extra attention to where you drink from.

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White vinegar

Vinegar is a popular cleaning agent for many different products and surfaces.

Fill your bottle to the halfway point with equal parts vinegar and water.

Return the bottle’s lid and give it a few shakes before allowing the mixture to sit in the bottle overnight.

The next day you should rinse out the water bottle and lid thoroughly with warm water to remove any residual vinegar.

Allow the water bottle to air dry thoroughly.

Baking soda and bleach

When bottles begin to smell bad, you need a more intense cleaning method to shift the grime and mildew.

Mix a teaspoon of bleach with a teaspoon of baking soda inside your water bottle.

Fill the remainder with water and apply the baking soda and bleach mixture to the bottle cap as well.

Allow the water bottle to sit with the mixture overnight and rinse it thoroughly in the morning.

For dishwasher-safe bottles, it is best to run the bottle through a rinse cycle before using it.

Allow the bottle to dry thoroughly.

Dishwasher

Some bottles are dishwasher safe and therefore can be placed in your machine to clean.

Make sure to check if your bottle is dishwasher safe because your bottle may become damaged if not.

Place the bottle on the tack rack of your machine and choose the hottest water setting to give the bottle the best and most hygienic clean.

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