Reusable water bottle hygiene

[PinkDreamer]

Are reusable water bottles actually worth it from a hygiene/health perspective? I’ve been using reusable water bottles for over a decade. A mixture of plastic and metal water bottles. And every bottle has had to be thrown away at some point due to mould/biofilm. This is despite the bottles being washed every single day (hand wash no dishwasher). And it’s got me thinking are they actually harmful to our health? Because mould is only visible when it’s at really high levels so goodness knows how long I’ve been using a mouldy bottle without realising. Is it worth me replacing my water bottle again? Or is it doing more harm than good?

Ours go through the dishwasher but if you're that worried why not use Milton sterilising fluid and treat it like a baby bottle?

Do you use a bottle brush?
Rinse with boiling water?
Are they completely dried out before you use them?
I have 2 bottles, I have literally had them for years and they are fine.

I get what you mean about the hygiene concerns, but I still think reusable bottles are worth it if cleaned properly. I buy a lot of water bottles from https://bottledevents.com/ and make sure to recycle them when they’ve reached their limit. A good routine, air drying completely, using a bottle brush, and occasionally deep cleaning with baking soda or sterilizing tablets, helps keep them fresh for longer!

Our whole family use a reusable bottle each every day. The only issue has been with the straw ones, they are definitely harder to clean and need soaking in Milton.