Sending your child to school with a refillable water bottle is a great idea when the rules allow it: Staying hydrated helps kids think better, improves their memory and attention and helps them stay cool.

And when water is the beverage of choice, it can help reduce your child’s sugar intake and decrease their chances of developing cavities or becoming overweight.

But if you don’t keep that water bottle clean, it can become disgusting and potentially make your child sick.

Bacteria Growth

Unwashed water bottles can harbor bacteria that can give your child a stomachache or symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea, similar to food poisoning.

That’s because anything that touches a water bottle can deposit bacteria on it. And the inside of a damp water bottle is the perfect environment for microorganisms such as E. coli to grow.

The danger increases if the bottle is filled with beverages other than water: Juice, sports beverages, coffee and tea, for example, can leave behind a perfect environment for bacteria to thrive.

Keeping It Clean

Here are tips for keeping your child’s water bottle safe:

• When purchasing a water bottle, choose one that’s easy to clean, with a wide mouth and no unusual shapes or hard-to reach crevices.
• Fill the bottle only with water, not other beverages.
• Ask your child to take the water bottle out of their backpack after school. Never leave a bottle sitting for long periods of time with water or other liquids in it, especially after your child has taken sips from it.
• Clean your child’s water bottle daily.
• If the bottle is dishwasher safe, place the lid in a small-items basket and the bottle on a rack for a thorough wash and sanitizing.
• If it isn’t dishwasher safe, gently scrub it with a small amount of dish soap and hot water. If you can’t fit your hand in with a sponge, use a bottle brush.
• Remember to wash the inside of the water bottle cap, where germs can easily build up. Wash the outside, too. And if there’s a reusable straw, clean it with soap and hot water using a tool that will reach the entire inside of the straw.
• After washing and rinsing the bottle, leave it out and open to air-dry.

If the bottle develops a persistent odor, it’s time to throw it out.

Don’t Share Water Bottles

Help your child develop good habits, such as washing their hands regularly so they aren’t spreading germs. They also should avoid touching the bottle’s mouthpiece.

You’ve probably seen kids passing water bottles back and forth to drink out of them. Remind them that’s dangerous – people should never share a water bottle.

Diseases ranging from the common cold to the more serious mononucleosis to potentially fatal meningitis can be spread through saliva on a bottle. Norovirus – a gastrointestinal illness that can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea – can also spread from person to person by saliva in drinks.

Sources:
BBC
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Everyday Health
Michigan State University
University of New Hampshire