If you've got a reusable bottle, good for you - you're really doing your bit to help the planet. But if you're not giving your water bottle, and its attached straw, a thorough clean after every use, there could be an issue - as one woman found out the hard way.
The woman behind Tribe Skincare took to the brand's TikTok page @tribeskincare to share her massive mishap that her sister pointed out to her.
She had a reusable water bottle but didn't realise that she needed to wash the straw, and when her sister pointed it out to her and she checked the straw, she was mortified.
She started the video by saying she felt "so sick", and she "didn't know whether to laugh or cry."
Her sister had asked her how often she washes the straw in her water bottle, and she explained that hadn't done it as she "only drinks water" from the cup - but her sister warned her that there would be mould growing in the cup.
The woman then explained that she'd been unwell for three years and her doctor couldn't figure out what was wrong with her, and she began to wonder whether the fact she'd not washed her straw had anything to do with it.
In the caption, she wrote: "I only use my bottle on weekdays so maybe that's why I don't get sick at weekends and have often not used it for months at a time which could be when I was feeling better?"
She also berated herself for "not using common sense", saying it was not the water bottle brand's fault, as they clearly recommend regular washing.
She then showed the straw, which had "chunks of black mould" on it, and she suggested she'd probably been drinking the mould without having a clue.
"If you have a drink bottle with a straw, clean it", she concluded.
In the comments, most people were horrified to hear that she didn't know to wash her straw.
"What do you mean you didn't know you had to wash it?!", someone wrote.
"How did you not notice it? The smell? The taste?", another shocked TikToker wrote, and someone agreed: "This is why I will never eat at other people's houses - because they don't know basic hygiene."
Did you know you need to wash your water bottle straw? Let us know in the comments.
