How long can you reuse your water bottle!

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: You must have thought there's no harm in reusing your own water bottle. But, the risk for ingesting harmful bacteria increases if you share your water bottle.

And yes, you probably must have heard that drinking water from a plastic bottle or reusing it may pose serious health risks to you and your family. This is because some plastic bottles contain chemicals that may leach into your drinking water.

But, that doesn't mean you can't reuse your bottles, all you need to do is choosing the ones that are considered safe and practicing a good hygiene.

Plastic bottles are hugely popular these days for their convenience and perceived purity. If you have been reusing your bottles everyday, make sure that you wash your bottles with hot soapy water and dry thoroughly between uses.

Remember, all plastics, when reused, are subjected to high levels of bacteria due to contact with hands and mouths, so they can lead to bacterial contamination unless washed regularly.

Bisphenol A (BPA) can be a concern for some bottles made of polycarbonate, which shares resin identification code 7 with other plastics. High temperatures and bleaching are believed to increase leaching of BPA. Hence, several countries have banned the use of plastics containing BPA used for water and other food items.

According to Cancer Research UK, the types of plastic bottles in which drinking water is typically sold are safe to re-use as long as their condition hasn’t deteriorated.

The bottom line is that bottles intended for reuse for households should be washed thoroughly after each use to assure proper sanitation.