Today again plastic bottles and flasks they are widely used all over the world especially for their ability to be reused. However, we must pay close attention to the way we clean them. Recent research has raised the alarm on bottles and water bottles washed in the dishwasher. According to the researchers, this practice can be harmful to human health. Let’s see why.
Plastic water bottles, washing them in the dishwasher can be dangerous
A recent study published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials showed how washing water bottles and plastic bottles in the dishwasher can lead to the migration of certain chemicals inside the container that are potentially harmful to health because possible endocrine disruptors.
The study analyzed the water contained in plastic bottles and flasks for 24 hours after washing in the dishwasher.
From the results of the analyzes on the water, about 3,500 chemical compounds related to dishwashing were found. Of these 400 related specifically to plastic. This happens because washing in the dishwasher consumes the plastic, increasing the leaching and the release of these substances into the water.
The main concern is the presence of molecules called photoinitiator which are considered potentially endocrine disruptors, that is, they can alter the correct functioning of the human body and the nervous system.
The correlation with dishwashing was ascertained because these components had never before been found in water packaged in plastic bottles. The intensity of these compounds is so high that even after numerous washes, the chemical compounds are only reduced by half.
The highest toxic risk was found in used bottles that were refilled immediately after washing in the dishwasher without further rinsing. Plastic bottles absorb these substances more than glass bottles. The advice is therefore to avoid washing plastic bottles and water bottles in the dishwasher. For the bottles these should be used and then thrown away, the bottles should be washed by hand following specific recommendations.
How to wash plastic water bottles by hand
To avoid any health risk it would be best wash the plastic bottles by hand. To do this, just pour a drop of dish soap inside and fill it with hot water. Scrub the inside and neck with a pipe cleaner or sponge and rinse well until the water is clear. At that point we can dry it with a clean and dry cloth.
If we want instead sanitize the bottle for example when we haven’t used it for a while, we can use several ways:
- White vinegar and cold water: half-fill the bottle, leave it to act overnight and rinse the next day;
- replace the vinegar with a teaspoon of baking soda;
- to use cleaning tablets for water bottles: Fill the bottle halfway with water, insert a tablet, wait 15-30 minutes and rinse. If the bottle is very dirty, let the tablet sit overnight before rinsing it.
The cap and straw must also be washed regularly. The nozzle should be washed with a cotton swab dipped in hot water and detergent to go to the most difficult areas. Then rinse and dry well before mounting everything on the bottle.