Do you give your child a water bottle to take to school/picnics? Your child’s water-bottle could be the most efficient incubator for germs and toxins your child could be exposed to. Needless to say, children need their water on the go and cannot be compromised. The following tips will help:

Tutor your child to never ever allow another child to drink directly from her water bottle; and never to drink from a friend’s bottle too. Ensure your child takes a disposable cup to school if her bottle does not come with a cup. Ask teachers/supervisors to spy.

Empty bottle of any leftover water in the water bottle before replacing . There is a tendency for children to drink swigs with food in their mouth, resulting in residues left in the water. If left to incubate, this could be a source of food poisoning.

If your child’s water bottle is plastic, give it a good wash immediately after buying to ensure plastic residues and chemicals do not find their way into the water.

Never leave the water bottle in a vehicle or in the sun.
When buying water bottle, read up the labels and ensure the label says: NON-TOXIC materials.

Avoid leaving soda drinks in your child’s water bottle for long periods of time. Many of them have been proven to be corrosive, and will leave bits of material in the water.

Washing your child’s bottle is not a task that should be left to househelps. Soak in mild food-grade disinfectant before washing; disconnect every component of the bottle and wash inside and out. Rinse very thoroughly inside and out, then rinse again with drinking water before filling.