Questioning the Water Bobble
August 19, 2012 7:31 AM Subscribe
I've been using the Watter Bobble filter bottle, but I'm having misgivings about cost and hygiene. Mostly hygiene.
I've been using the Water Bobble for a while, currently on my third filter. It seems like the perfect solution in some ways: €10/month is much cheaper than buying bottled water, and both my current home and main workplace have slightly metallic-tasting water that's been putting me off drinking it. (I usually drink tap water happily and this is an unfortunate coincidence.) The design of the bottle is good, it's very portable and refillable, and the light weight of the plastic is appealing too.
However, constantly using a water bottle that can't be sterilised is making me a bit worried. I clean it daily with warm water (hot melts the bottle) and washing-up liquid, rinsing well and flushing the filter a few times as well as cleaning the mouthpiece. I don't want to make myself sick via my water bottle, and this seems inadequate.
Second to that, there's the brand-name lifestyle marketing that makes me feel like I'm buying into snake oil. The carbon filter does seem to be fixing the taste issues (and I don't have space for a Brita filter etc), but I'm not sure if it's a €10 placebo.
Two questions:
- Have there been any reasonably credible studies or research done on water bottle hygiene? (I have some institutional database access so please feel free to link to journals.)
- Has anyone, faced with the same question, found a better solution?
I've been using the Water Bobble for a while, currently on my third filter. It seems like the perfect solution in some ways: €10/month is much cheaper than buying bottled water, and both my current home and main workplace have slightly metallic-tasting water that's been putting me off drinking it. (I usually drink tap water happily and this is an unfortunate coincidence.) The design of the bottle is good, it's very portable and refillable, and the light weight of the plastic is appealing too.
However, constantly using a water bottle that can't be sterilised is making me a bit worried. I clean it daily with warm water (hot melts the bottle) and washing-up liquid, rinsing well and flushing the filter a few times as well as cleaning the mouthpiece. I don't want to make myself sick via my water bottle, and this seems inadequate.
Second to that, there's the brand-name lifestyle marketing that makes me feel like I'm buying into snake oil. The carbon filter does seem to be fixing the taste issues (and I don't have space for a Brita filter etc), but I'm not sure if it's a €10 placebo.
Two questions:
- Have there been any reasonably credible studies or research done on water bottle hygiene? (I have some institutional database access so please feel free to link to journals.)
- Has anyone, faced with the same question, found a better solution?
However, constantly using a water bottle that can't be sterilised is making me a bit worried.
Huh? You're supposed to -- read the packaging -- boil the mouthpiece/filter regularly, and you can clean the bottle itself with water/soap. I don't really understand your concern with this.
Also, there's no reason to replace the filter once a month -- that's way too often. Try once every 2-3 months (the filter is good for ~300 full bottles).
posted by lobbyist at 8:02 AM on August 19, 2012
Huh? You're supposed to -- read the packaging -- boil the mouthpiece/filter regularly, and you can clean the bottle itself with water/soap. I don't really understand your concern with this.
Also, there's no reason to replace the filter once a month -- that's way too often. Try once every 2-3 months (the filter is good for ~300 full bottles).
posted by lobbyist at 8:02 AM on August 19, 2012
Best answer: Here's what I was looking for, FAQ including how to clean -- under "Is bobble and the filter dishwasher safe?"
posted by lobbyist at 8:08 AM on August 19, 2012
posted by lobbyist at 8:08 AM on August 19, 2012
Response by poster: Just to clarify: I'm going through more than 300 full bottles per month, hence replacing the filter that often.
I had forgotten that the filter can be boiled, thanks for the reminder.
posted by carbide at 8:34 AM on August 19, 2012
I had forgotten that the filter can be boiled, thanks for the reminder.
posted by carbide at 8:34 AM on August 19, 2012
Response by poster: (Sorry, correcting myself rather than threadsitting: probably more like 7-8 fills per day and the others filling my work kettle for coffee. Probably more like 6 weeks than a month, so.)
posted by carbide at 8:40 AM on August 19, 2012
posted by carbide at 8:40 AM on August 19, 2012
The web site for this product is saying that it filters out chlorine so maybe chlorine would be a good way to sterilize it.
posted by XMLicious at 8:46 AM on August 19, 2012
posted by XMLicious at 8:46 AM on August 19, 2012
Could you soak the bottle in a solution of 1/4 cup bleach and 1 gallon warm tap water (10 minutes), then rinse in fresh water and air dry? This is the procedure the Red Cross recommends for some of the CPR manikins that are made from plastic, and I've heard it recommended for kid's plastic toys too. Obviously you wouldn't want to soak the filter.
posted by youngergirl44 at 8:28 PM on August 19, 2012
posted by youngergirl44 at 8:28 PM on August 19, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by roomwithaview at 7:48 AM on August 19, 2012 [1 favorite]