Jfc. TIL that even though I diligently clean my #Brita #filterbottle's silicone straw/bite valve, turns out the entire silicone piece is removeable (non-obvious, no cleaning instructions whatsoever given beyond 'change filter each month').
Anyhow, guess what? MINE IS COMPLETELY SATURATED WITH PINK AND BLACK MOULD wherever the silicone was covered by casing.
I only realised there could be a problem becuase the head of the straw suddenly had pink mould on the rim.
😡😡😡
1/x
Looking online, it turns out replacement valves are available, which is great because I have insufficent funds to toss a $40 bottle all the time.
2/x
I kept my silicone straw rigorously clean. It did NOT look anything like the example used on the replacement ad, except for being much much worse in the parts that could not be seen and didn't appear to be accessible.
3/x
Becuase medical issues and also medication means my mouth is frequently bone-dry, I bought a #Brita #filterbottle specifically so I could have water that wouldn't accidentally get knocked over next to the bed, yet easy-to-open anytime I had to get up in the night for rehydration or taking additional mid-sleep meds.
I ALSO thought this bottle would keep my water safe from such issues.
#healthAndSafety
#chronicIllness
5/x
I tend to shy away from reusable water bottles because, for me, they can be very hard to open and are often difficult to clean.
Due to #ChronicIllnessworry a lot about cleanliness for things I need to eat, drink, or breathe--my first #CPAP humidifier developed a #pinkMould problem that was very hard to mitigate and undoubtedly NOT a good thing to be breathing.
The #Brita #filterbottle looked like it would meet my needs.
6/x
For most of my life I happily drank tap water, but ~25 years ago, #chemotherapy for #BreastCancer left me even more sensitive to many common chemicals than I was before.
The smell of tapwater is nauseating to me now, even though #Edmonton's tap water is veey good quality.
7/x
For a long time I bought #bottledWater but it is heavy to carry in with the groceries and it is expensive. Plus, wasting lots of #plastic!
I also discovered that the hyper-thin plastic water bottles definitely 'do something' to the water, because water from those irritates my kidneys or bladder or both (not sure which), causing #urgeIncontience that is usually not otherwise present. 😡
8/x
Bulk-flat of plastic #bottledWater tend to be this thin plastic, so I was also stuck purchasing more expensive brands in thicker plastic bottles.
Even longer story short, all this means I figured the #Brita #filterbottle was worth a try as it seemed to meet my needs, yay!
9/x
And the #Brita #filterbottle DID seem very helpful. It was spill-safe at night, and easy to carry if I needed hydration elsewhere.
Paired with my 3M #quickLatch #ElastomericRespirator it was also easy to use for a quick sip on the go and minimal risk from contaminated air.
Cheering all around, yay! 🙂
10/x
NGL, discovering pink and black mould today makes for a BAD day. The silicone mouthpiece is so contaminated I cannot even wash this crap off, even after soaking.
Gross, and it can't be healthy at all.
Thank goodness the filter straw portion actually became visibly contaminated, or I would still be blissfully unaware of this vile mixture I am straining water through as I drink.
🤢🤢🤢
#pinkMould
#blackMould
#pinkMold
#blackMold
11/x
ANYHOW, I will be curious to see whether my uncontrolled #asthma settles down at all once I sterilise the remaining portions of the bottle and replace the contaminated mouthpiece.
I really hope so, because having to take so many extra medications each day yet *still* cough hard enough to launch my organs into Low Earth Orbit is not fun, actually. 😐
12/x
TL;DR:
#Brita #filterbottle mouthpieces are removable from the screw-off cap.
They can grow mould in the parts that are normally snug against the cap casing.
Even if 'clean' on all visible sections of the mouthpiece, the mould may be there.
REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE AVAILABLE online.
I've just ordered some asap for overnight delivery. Meanwhile, sterilising everything else.
13/fin
UPDATE: Okay, I'm officially chickening out on attempting to clean my #Brita #filterbottle well enough to ensure there is no more mould contamination.
As this design has otherwise met my needs and I already have several unused filters and new, uncontaminated silicone mouthpieces en route, I am going to suck it up and buy a new bottle, but add it into the rigorously-clean-each-compent cycle I do with my #CPAP.
Still, #ick. 🤢
Good move I think. I've found that once mould gets in on things like bite valves and complicated bottle lids, it's tough to eradicate.
Thank you! 🙂 I really hate throwing things away unnecessarily but …
… I thought I could scrub it & even throw it in my UV steriliser, but then I took a closer look at the way the inner straw (that holds the carbon filter) is designed and realised there's a very good chance something could be lurking in the many nooks and crannies within. My steriliser cannot penetrate surfaces & isn't big enough to place that component at an angle the UV could actually reach. ☹️
Likely Jan Lukas
Tony Wells