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Reusable water bottles are beneficial in so many ways. Helping keep you hydrated, they also cut down on single-use plastic, and save you money every time you refill instead of buying a new bottle of water. Plus, with all the chic stainless steel flasks and glass bottles on the market – not to mention sporty carrying straps – they’ve become something of a fashion accessory. Trying to hit the NHS-recommended eight glasses of water a day for adults is an excellent idea, of course, but did you know there’s one way your refillable bottle could potentially be detrimental to your health? According to a study from waterfilterguru.com, reusable water bottles contain an average of 20.8m colony-forming units (CFUs) of bacteria, which equates to 40,000 times more than the microbes on a toilet seat. So what might be the consequences if you continuously sip and refill without washing your bottle properly between uses? We asked health experts to talk through the risks… Bottling up bacteria “A common misconception when it comes to reusable water bottle hygiene is that as you’re typically filling it with pure water and it’s only coming into contact with your own mouth, there’s little need to clean it often,” says Dr Donald Grant, senior clinician at The Independent Pharmacy. However, every time you drink from the bottle, you’re transferring bacteria from your mouth, which can then multiply in the container. “Anything that is reusable can be prone to accumulating dirt, dust or debris and, as a result, bacteria,” says private GP Dr Suhail Hussain. “This is exacerbated by the fact water bottles are the ideal environment for harbouring bacteria due to being moist.” Hard to reach crevices – for example, inside a screw top or under a flip-up straw – could also develop mould, and then there’s contamination from other sources. “When you store it in a gym bag, for instance, it can pick up bacteria from the interior of the bag or anything else stored in it, while you can also transfer bacteria from your hands to your bottle,” says Grant. “If your bottle has a valve cap, you may need to lift or twist it with your fingers, and this can transfer bacteria you may have picked up from touching other objects or surfaces.” What types of microbes are found in water bottles? “These might be simple commensals such as streptococcus and staphylococcus, which normally live in symbiosis with their host (i.e. us) but can become problematic if they accumulate, or the individual is under the weather,” Hussain says.“Bacteria such as E. coli – a common cause of urine and bowel infections – can often colonise the water bottle following repeated handling, such as taking the cap on and off.” These bacteria can potentially cause a variety of issues. “You may become sick and develop gastric illness, such as diarrhoea or vomiting,” Hussain continues. “Gram negative rods – another common bacterium found in unwashed bottles – can lead to urogenital tract infections and pneumonia.” Grant warns: “If there’s a build-up of mould inside the bottle, this can cause allergy symptoms, such as a runny nose, sneezing, or red and itchy eyes. Symptoms might be more severe for someone with asthma.” How often should you wash your reusable water bottle? “To minimise your risk of getting sick, you should ideally clean your water bottle after each use,” Grant says. “As a minimum, you should aim to wash it thoroughly at least a few times a week.” Hot water and washing up liquid are all you need to banish bacteria on the daily. “Fill the bottle with hot soapy mixture and swill around, or leave to soak in a detergent mixture,” Hussain advises. “Remember to pay special attention to lids/caps and screw top regions – use a clean brush [to scrub them].” If you’ve neglected your bottle for a few days and it needs a deeper clean, Grant suggests: “Soak your bottle overnight in a solution of half vinegar and half water. Rinse the bottle and let it dry fully before using it again.” Storage is also important to help minimise nasty microbes. “Where possible, you should keep your water bottle out of germ-rich environments such as your gym locker or sports bag,” Grant says. “You should also avoid filling your bottle with anything other than water, such as protein shakes, energy drinks, or sugar-rich liquids, as sugar can stimulate the growth of bacteria.” Hussain adds: “Don’t leave water bottle in the sun for long periods of time or siting in the cup holder in the car – the mixture of warmth and moisture is likely to make bacterial overgrowth worse.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Prince George visits Eton with parents Prince William and Kate Middleton King Charles and Queen Camilla ecstatic after getting their first Royal Ascot winner As Elon Musk calls cis ‘a slur’ – what does the term cisgender actually mean?

Kenya felt it was best to sign a bilateral trade deal, despite claims that it undermined regional unity.

Colorado football head coach Deion Sanders is undergoing emergency surgery for blood clots found in his legs.Last week, there were rumors that former NFL player and current Colorado football head coach Deion Sanders might have his left foot amputated after years of issues concerning the foot. An...

It comes after parliament passed a bill requiring tech giants to compensate publishers for news.

The season two premiere of And Just Like That brought back a familiar face for many loyal Sex and the City fans, and no, it wasn’t the upcoming cameo from actor Kim Cattrall as Samantha Jones. The second season of And Just Like That, which debuted on Max on Thursday 22 June, saw the return of Carrie Bradshaw’s beloved Vivienne Westwood wedding gown, which she wore to her failed wedding to Mr Big (Chris Noth) in the 2008 Sex and the City movie. When Sarah Jessica Parker was photographed wearing the fan-favourite bridal gown in the streets of New York City last November, many fans wondered the reason for its reprise. Now, the season two premiere has revealed that Carrie dons the flowing gown to none other than the Met Gala. Warning: Spoilers ahead In the season two premiere, Carrie works with an up-and-coming designer named Smoke (Bethlehem Million) to create a custom design for the annual fashion event, themed “Veiled Beauty”. But when things go awry, the columnist resorts to her fashion archive and pulls the wedding dress out of her closet. “I may have something,” Carrie tells Smoke during the episode. “I’ve only worn it once. It’s not the best memory.” She even decides to wear the same bird-like headpiece that she wore to her wedding, but this time pairing it with teal gloves, teal heels, and a matching teal cape that Smoke had made. Although wearing the same wedding gown twice may seem like bad luck to some, Parker revealed how the new season of And Just Like That was able to give the dress “new life”. In an interview with People, Parker detailed how she and And Just Like That showrunner Michael Patrick King wanted to change the narrative surrounding the iconic dress by breaking it out for season two. “How would it become something else?” the actor told People. “How would we layer it and give it a new life and have it feel modern and change the poetry that surrounded that dress from a lot of really painful but important memories that I don’t think Carrie really wanted to let go of, especially given this loss?” King – who directed the original Sex and the City movie – noted how they wanted first-time viewers to relate to the moment as well, despite not knowing the original importance of the wedding dress. “It must mean something for someone who has never seen the scene where Carrie is left at the altar,” King told People. “So, you just have to create a story, like in that case, the Met Ball, which is named Veiled Beauty, which gets me to wedding veil, which gets to wedding gown, and then Carrie tells Smoke: ‘It wasn’t the best memory.’” “All you need to know is it was a bad moment that she’s putting it on, and then everybody gets to enjoy the gown.” And just like that, fans of the series took to Twitter on Thursday to applaud Carrie for repurposing the iconic wedding dress for the Met Gala. “CARRIE WEARING HER WEDDING DRESS AHH LOVE THE CHANGING THE NARRATIVE TO THAT DRESS,” one viewer tweeted. “I know it was supposed to be a sad moment but when Carrie threw on her wedding dress and veil and rocked it with them shoes and cape I was like yass!!!!” another person said. “Take that pain and sashay that gala”. A third fan wrote: “Carrie Bradshaw repurposed the Vivienne Westwood wedding dress and wore it to the MET Ball!! What a way to honour her,” which appears to refer to the designer’s death in December 2022. Although the return of the wedding dress was a nice surprise for fans of the original series, Parker and King detailed the lengths they had to go to retrieve the Vivienne Westwood gown. “We weren’t entirely certain that we could get the dress back,” Parker told People. “It was in London and unearthing it was complicated – getting it through customs in time and then making sure was this, in fact, the original dress? The colour looked different.” Not to mention Parker worried about fitting into the dress more than a decade later, adding that it “was terrifying to put it on”. “It was really incredible and fun and thank goodness it fit!” Parker said. “It was very special to have it back in our possession for a brief period and to figure out how it helped tell this story now.” The first two episodes of And Just Like That season two are available to stream on Max. Read The Indpendent’s two-star review here. Read More And Just Like That season two review: A toothless imitation of Sex and the City Sarah Jessica Parker’s son James explains why it feels ‘weird’ watching And Just Like That Sex and the City stars recall ‘near-death experience’ that occurred while filming season three Glastonbury 2023: All the best fashion at the biggest UK festival of the year Warehouse advert featured ‘unhealthily thin’ model, ASA rules Glastonbury festival fashion might not even exist anymore

A mother has struck a chord with other parents after sharing the heartache she felt for her daughter when just two children RSVP’d yes to attend her birthday party. Sadie Christgau, who goes by the username @saddiegou on TikTok, questioned whether other parents had faced similar situations in a video posted to the platform earlier this month, in which she revealed that she’d invited her daughter’s entire preschool class to her fifth birthday. “Two kids RSVP’d to my little girl’s birthday party. I invited her whole entire class. Two RSVP’d. It’s in two hours,” Christgau said in the video, before revealing that she invited all of her Facebook friends with children after she “started panicking” no one would show up. “I started panicking. I started inviting all my Facebook friends with kids and I said: ‘Just show up, we have enough stuff for 25 kids.’” “I don’t even know what to do,” an emotional Christgau added in the video, which saw her sitting in front of decorations she’d put up for her daughter’s party. In the caption of the video, the TikToker asked viewers whether they’ve ever found themselves in the same situation. “Has anyone else had this happen to their kid?” she wrote. The video, which has been viewed more than 3.1m times as of 22 June, has resonated with viewers, with many fellow parents revealing their own similar experiences. “Same happened for my daughter’s birthday last year!! I invited the entire class, eight RSVP’d, four of the eight cancelled at the last minute and only two showed!!” one viewer revealed. @saddiegau Has anyone else had this happen to thier kid? #fifthbirthday ♬ original sound - Sadiegau Another said: “We invited 35 kids to a joint birthday party for my son and daughter - even wrote on the invite to not bring gifts. Five rsvp’d and three showed up.” Numerous other parents revealed that they’d stopped hosting birthday parties for their children after similar scenarios, with many instead encouraging Christgau to celebrate her children’s birthdays with “experiences”. “This happened to my son when he was 12. We now only do birthday experiences. Pick somewhere you want to go instead. We all love it! It’s memories!” one person commented. Another said: “That’s why we stopped throwing birthday parties and instead let our kids pick what we do for their birthday and they’re always so happy.” “Yea, we stopped throwing parties. Instead I’ll take mine to go do something fun for the whole day and then have family over for cake and icecream!” someone else said. Other parents revealed that they make it a point to attend each birthday party their child is invited to so that the situation does not happen. “This is the exact reason we go to EVERY birthday party we are invited to. Breaks my heart,” one person wrote, while another viewer said: “It breaks my heart to read so many people saying that this has happened to their children too. My children go to every birthday they are invited to.” In a follow-up video, the TikToker revealed that the party was ultimately a success after her friends showed up with their children. @saddiegau Update! Thank you to everyone who shared kind words with me ❤️ ♬ original sound - Sadiegau “They came and they all had so much fun together,” she said. Christgau then addressed some of the critical comments she’d received on her initial video, with the mother of six revealing that many people had asked her why she’d invited her daughter’s entire class, or why she’d prepared to host 25 children. According to Christgau, she made sure she had enough for 25 children because she’s experienced people RSVP at the last second to birthday parties that she’s previously thrown for her children and would never want to have to turn a child away. “I can’t do it, that’s not me,” she said. As for why she invited the entire class, Christgau noted that her daughter is in preschool and is “still learning who her friend group is”. “And also, other kids don’t understand when they don’t get invited to a birthday party when they’re five. Some of them are even four! So obviously I’m going to invite the whole entire class,” she continued. The TikToker also addressed comments from viewers who’d suggested that the parents of classmates didn’t want to have to pay for birthday gifts, with Christgau revealing that her children bring handmade gifts when they attend birthday parties. “It’s really not about the gifts,” she explained, adding that it’s instead about “emotional development” and allowing children to “learn how to play with others”. After acknowledging that views on birthday parties are divided among parents, Christgau reiterated that she would never host a party without inviting her child’s entire class. “I’m not going to leave anyone out,” she said, before explaining that it may be different when her children are older, but that right now they are “still in the process of meeting each other and learning who each other are”. While speaking to Today, Christgau said she’d also invited all of the children in her daughter’s classroom because the five year old is “very social and assumes everyone is her best friend”. “I thought inviting the whole class would be easier than asking her to pick a few friends, and I didn’t want to leave anyone out,” she explained. The Independent has contacted Christgau for comment. Read More Mum sends out extremely blunt invites for twins’ multi-themed birthday: ‘Set your expectations appropriately’ Mother sparks viral debate for ‘shaming’ parent who refused to give her daughter a slice of cake Schoolboy almost dies from swallowing magnets for TikTok challenge Woman shares honest review of New York City apartment TikTok mom slammed after making 5-year-old son run in 104 degree heat

By Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) -Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Joe Biden met in Washington on Thursday and

The claims arise from an investigation into a US law barring imports made with Uyghur labour.

By Clark Mindock 3M Co has reached a $10.3 billion settlement with a host of U.S. public water

The Buffalo Zoo in New York welcomed four new lion cubs into their African lion pride in early June.

From prehistoric animals that lived much closer to us temporally than you might realize to the guillotine lasting way beyond the French Revolution, these facts are to mess with your perception of time.

A video has emerged of Vilhelm Junnila speaking at a rally organised by a far-right group in Turku in 2019.