People Are Freaking Out Over These Moldy Water Bottles In Viral TikTok

Clean your bottles, people! If you spot mold in your water bottle, here’s how you should deep clean and sanitize it.

What happens when you gather a bunch of reusable water bottles from different people to see how moldy they are? At our office, a scene from a horror movie.

For a new TikTok that has since gone viral, Delish took apart several editors’ reusable water bottles to see what’s lurking in all those nooks and crannies. And… it’s not good! We’re talking serious mold and disgusting dirt and grime. Brace yourselves.

The video, which currently has over 7 million views on TikTok alone, has garnered thousands of comments from users who were just as shocked as we were by the results.

Some people offered suggestions on how best to avoid the dirty water bottle dilemma in the first place: “Pro tip: get a bottle without a lot of small pieces and nooks and crannies,” one person wrote.

The water bottle brands that are easiest to keep clean are reportedly Owala and Hydro Flask, as they have the fewest small parts. There was also one person who recommended ditching fancy water bottles altogether and just using a regular cup.

Fortunately, though, there’s no need to toss that moldy limited-edition Stanley Quencher you paid $150 for on eBay. All you have to do is clean it daily and give it a thorough deep clean at least once a week.

To clean your water bottle, simply give it a good rinse with soap and water. To deep clean and sanitize your water bottle, you should follow these steps:

1. Remove every small part of the water bottle.
2. Fill a bowl with warm water, and add soap and a little bit of white vinegar.
3. Put all of the pieces in the bowl and let it soak for about 15 minutes.
4. Grab a brush, sponge, or Q-tip to clean the nooks and crannies of the water bottle.
5. Dry the water bottle and any pieces throughly.