Sorry, but there are an insane amount of germs collecting on your water bottle

We applaud you for doing your part to protect the environment by using a reusable water bottle, but you’re going to want to start washing that thing a whole lot more: A new study confirms reusable water bottles are VERY germy.

Researchers collected 12 germ samples off of three different types of reusable bottles that had gone a week without being washed.

The results might gross you out: Some of the bottles were home to 300,000 bacteria PER SQUARE CENTIMETER. If you need a comparison, the study says a used pet toy usually only has about 3,000 per square centimeter.

EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.

Time to start washing that water bottle more. If your water bottle is made of plastic, experts say you shouldn’t put it in the dishwasher on the reg – the heat will break down plastic and allow it to mix with your drinking water as you sip, and nobody wants to drink plastic. In this case, hot water, soap, and a bottle brush should be used daily to keep your drinking vessel germ-free.

If you’re feeling fancy, invest in a stainless steel bottle.

Some experts say it’s a more germ resistant material, and you can pop that sucker in the dishwasher at every available opportunity to kill off the bacteria army trying to wage war on your insides.

We don’t know about you, but we’re washing out our bottles at the next available opportunity.