Reusable bottles: the 6 common mistakes that make you drink contaminated water

Before the appearance of symptoms such as

, fever, 

or  abdominal

, the first suspicion is usually that

something bad was

However, sometimes the cause is the least expected: having drunk water that, although it was drinkable and safe,

 when it was placed in a

.

For many, it became customary to go from one place to the other with a

 that they

again with water, juice, soft drinks and other drinks.

They are used daily at

, at

, when practicing

or 

, especially in times of intense heat like the current one, to maintain adequate hydration.

The problem, according to experts, is that users do not always take the

to prevent

from proliferating in these containers, as well as in

and water

.

What are the

that can silently turn our bottles into veritable nests of

?

consulted specialists, who pointed out

very common bad habits.

Mistake No. 1: refill disposable bottles

In the midst of the heat, many refill bottles that should not have more than one use.

Photo: Telam.

"We notice that people sometimes

disposable plastic bottles

, juice or mineral water. From the infectious point of view, we 

totally

it," Arnaldo Casiró,

Head of Infectious Diseases at Hospital Álvarez.

The reason - explained the infectologist - is that 

are quickly generated in these very fine containers  that favor the proliferation of bacteria such as 

 and

, some of which can be "

to the body."

When choosing a bottle, according to Casiró, it is always convenient to prefer

or

, as they are much more "reliable".

And if they were made of plastic, use only the 

, those that were made to be reused.

Mistake No. 2: filling the bottle without prior washing

Now, even if the bottle is suitable, that will be useless if there is a lack of hygiene.

"Germs, mold and fungus grow in

places , so the inside of a water bottle is the

for them to develop," warned nutritionist María Ángeles Sánchez Calvin.

In this sense, a study published in 2018 in the

analyzed

in

in Brazil:

had contamination.

They found

of disease-causing microorganisms, the most common being the

bacterium (27% of the bottles had it);

and

(17%).

Just because there are germs in the bottle, the doctors clarified, 

that whoever drinks from it will get sick.

That will depend on the amount of bacteria and the state of the person's immune system.

But

is

And the way to avoid it, according to Sánchez Calvin, is none other than to

wash

bottle well

.

Or, in other words, never fill a bottle without having previously sanitized it.

"That decreases the risk of contracting diseases from the bacteria present, and also of

them to other people in the case of sharing the bottle," he argued.

Before recharging the bottle and going out to train, it is always a good idea to give it a wash.

Photo: Shutterstock.

Mistake No. 3: wash the bottle only with water

There are those who believe that removing the old water, rinsing and rubbing the bottle a little is enough to consider it clean.

But the recommendation to "wash well" implies

than that.

"With a simple rinse it is

. It should be

and preferably with chlorinated water, that is,

, since well water, if it is not analyzed, may contain bacteria itself. If it is analyzed and does not contain bacteria , it can be used", warned Casiró, today director of the Center for Medical Specialties No. 1 of the City of Buenos Aires.

From

, a firm that provides drinking water in bottles to companies and homes, they also recommend that at least 

the person add

from their reusable bottle to cleaning, following these steps:

Of course, when using bleach you always have to be careful

 the indicated amount, and then rinse the bottle very well, because if there are remains it can cause poisoning.

Mistake No. 4: not cleaning the dispenser often

Even if the bottle is in perfect condition, tap water or a sealed bottle can also become contaminated if it is served through a

that

for a long time.

Therefore, to

of bottled water, Sparkling experts recommend

, in this way:

Bottled water is safe, but it can become contaminated by passing through a poorly maintained dispenser.

Photo: Sparkling.

Mistake No. 5: leaving water drums in the sun

A bad habit of those who use dispensers is receiving the bottles and leaving them for several days or

, until they are used,

in a patio or garden.

"It is essential that the bottle is not

, since the water

," Sparkling warned.

Although they take up space, it is always better to keep them near the dispenser, in a cool, dark place.

Mistake No. 6: when refilling the bottle, touching the spout of the dispenser

Finally, when filling a reusable bottle in a dispenser, many make the mistake of allowing the mouth of the container

with the spout of the device.

According to experts, if that happens, it

.

Why?

Because perhaps, hours or days before, another person also touched the dispenser, but with a contaminated bottle, either due to lack of hygiene or because the person who used it had an illness.

These 

are sometimes enough to avoid huge problems.

MDG

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