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If there’s one thing we fitness girlies love, it’s an emotional support water bottle. Or actually, just any kind of water bottle – staying hydrated is important!
But as much as we love to keep our bottles on hand for maximum hydration, it’s equally important to keep them clean, to avoid ingesting any unwanted bacteria that may linger.
Unfortunately, many of us aren’t doing as well as we might’ve hoped.
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Over the past few months, several videos have gone viral depicting their makers “properly” cleaning their favourite Stanley Quencher bottles and revealing some truly harrowing discoveries.
While most of us are pretty good at washing the barrel of our bottles, higher-tech models like the Quencher or Frank Green’s designs, often have sneaky sliders or holes that are easy to miss.
One of the main culprits? An oft-forgotten part of the lid that is basically an incubator for hidden mould.
By squeezing a plug under the lid on the Stanley bottles, you can remove the slider, which seals or opens up the straw hole. You can also pop out the rubber inserts on the slider.
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TikTok creator @skysayingthings gave it a crack and found mould growing under the slider and on top of the lid, which she showed the camera mid-shrieks: “I literally have mould,” she wailed. “This is so gross.”
Fellow creator @nicokekramer_ also dictated her cleaning process, saying she discovered mould inside the barrel, just from not washing it properly.
“Never underestimate how often you need to clean your Stanley cup,” she said, showing the spores lingering inside the bottle. “I’ve had the worst sore throat. No idea why. Look inside my cup this morning…you don’t even want to see the straw.“
Consider this our new nightmare fuel.
The good news is all parts of your water bottle are super easy to clean, you just need to make sure you do it.
“Ideally, your Stanley Quencher or other favourite Stanley should be washed after each use,” senior hydration product manager at Stanley, Kyle Casteel, told People. Keep your Stanley clean both inside and out for sanitary sipping!”
The best way to clean any bottle is to separate the parts and pop it in the dishwasher, as it’ll do a thorough job, and will dry it off. Most bottles are dishwasher-safe these days, but just check the base to confirm before you toss it in
Don’t have one? No problems. Casteel says “You can also hand wash your Stanley with warm water and mild detergent, and dry with a clean towel or let your product air dry.
“If your product needs a deeper clean, use a mixture of one part baking soda and one part warm water, and soak for up to an hour. Then clean with mild detergent once the solution is rinsed out.”
Also, don’t forget to wash the straw properly. While it may seem like running some water through the cylinder is enough, we assure you, it is not.
Use a narrow brush (think pipe-cleaner-sized) to properly get inside the straw, and make sure you use warm water and soap in there too.
Need a bit more instruction? We don’t blame you after those videos, tbh. Here’s a TikTok from @theclarajones showing you exactly what to do:
