How often should you clean your water bottle?

Breaking down the different types of drinking water, from alkaline to sparkling

While tap water is regulated by the EPA, environmental and infrastructural factors can introduce contaminants, which filtering can help to remove. Distilled water has had all of its mineral contaminants removed and may be used in laboratory settings, but mineral water has them added in for taste or to promote health.

How much water do humans really need to drink every day, and how food helps meet the quota

Because water is lost through breathing, sweating, urination, and bowel movements, consuming 2.0 to 3.7 liters (about 4.2 to 7.8 pint glasses) of water daily is recommended, depending on various factors, such as health conditions and exercise habits. Fruits and vegetables that are almost entirely water by weight, such as strawberries, cucumbers, and broccoli, can help increase water intake.

Explore the UN’s interactive guide to global plastic pollution

Around the world, 1 million plastic drinking bottles are purchased every minute, while 500 billion single-use plastic bags are used worldwide every year. In total, half of all plastic produced is designed to be used only once—and then thrown away.

1 in 4 people around the world don't have access to clean water

Poor water sanitation puts people at risk of acquiring this diarrheal infection. Cholera infections are on the rise due to extreme weather events and conflict. In recent years there have been cholera outbreaks in locations that hadn't seen the disease in many years, including Haiti.

We can get food poisoning from spending time in swimming pools, lakes, rivers, and ponds

Some of the same pathogens that may sicken us in food or water may also sicken us in recreational swimming environments. Bacteria can rub off of people’s (or animal’s) bodies or contaminate the water through a diarrheal episode. Washing your hands for at least 20 seconds before eating food if you are at the beach, pool, or other similar environments and being sure not to swallow the water are ways to help keep safe.

Learn why water can take millions of years to be recycled via the hydrologic cycle

While a single drop of water spends an average of nine days in the atmosphere before precipitating back to Earth, it can spend thousands of years in the ocean before evaporating, and hundreds of thousands of years deep in rock layers before being released as steam in volcanic eruptions. Some water molecules have been trapped in Antarctic ice sheets for millions of years since they last moved through the water cycle.

Watch how to safely remove water from your ears

Do not stick a Q-tip into the ear canal—it can cause microtears of the delicate skin there and elevate infection risks. Instead, try tapping on the side of your tilted head after swimming to break the surface tension so water will drip out, or pulling your earlobe in different directions while the ear is pointed downwards. Another suggested approach is to place a few droplets of isopropyl alcohol or over-the-counter eardrops inside the ear to speed evaporation. If those approaches don't work, consider contacting your physician.

Sewage on cruise ships is cleaned onboard by bacteria and advanced filtration systems

A cruise ship's onboard sewage plant processes black water, human waste or sewage, and gray water, wastewater from sinks, showers, and washing machines. Treated water is stored until the ship reaches a distance where it can legally discharge it.

Data centers' electrical needs create increased water demands beyond cooling

Each query uses approximately one single-serving water bottle per conversation, but water is also used for steam cycles and cooling in power plants that generate electricity for data centers. Newer cooling methods, such as immersion cooling, where servers are submerged in fluids that don't conduct electricity, can minimize water use.

Why your wine smells unpleasant

Ever had the experience of receiving a bottle of wine with a janky, less-than-favorable odor? This Esquire article ventures to answer this question and offers the explanation that the culprit is likely corked wine. Read to understand why corks can create a moldy or musty scent, and feel emboldened to send a corked bottle back for something with improved quality.

Glass can be endlessly recycled without losing quality

Sand from specialized mines is thoroughly cleaned and melted at more than 1,600 degrees Celsius before being poured onto liquid tin and evenly spread out to form glass sheets. Some factories are designed to reprocess 100% of glass scraps created when cutting glass with diamond-tipped blades or lasers.

To reduce wrinkles in clothing, research recommends gentle wash cycles with more water and tumble drying with smaller loads and longer times.

Tips for reducing the risk of antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobial resistance is bad news. But there are lots of things you can do to both protect yourself from superbugs and help keep the problem of antimicrobial resistance from getting worse. This page from the CDC offers clear, straightforward guidelines that can help keep you—and your loved ones—healthy.

Cerebrospinal fluid flushes waste from your brain during sleep

Recent research suggests a nightly brain cleanup as an important purpose of sleep. Brain waves have been observed to work in lockstep with the brain’s blood flow and cerebrospinal fluid flow, allowing for a cleansing tide that washes away toxic waste.

Watch what it’s like to spend a day on the International Space Station

Microgravity makes personal care more complex on the International Space Station, where stray, floating materials must be captured to prevent them from entering vents and clogging filtration vents. No-rinse shampoo, water pouches, and other strategies help minimize obstructions.

Tooth brushing immediately after vomiting rubs in corrosive acid, damaging teeth

Brushing right after vomiting can further erode the enamel by rubbing in stomach acid and etching it onto tooth surfaces. Instead, research suggests you should consider rinsing your mouth with water and baking soda in the short-term and waiting to brush your teeth for 30-60 minutes.

Just because leftovers look and smell okay doesn’t mean they’re safe to eat

Despite what the sniff test is telling you, older leftovers should probably be trashed. Pathogens that cause illness don’t usually affect the taste, smell, or appearance of food (though if they look bad, you should chuck them as well). Scientists recommend tossing leftovers within a few days even if they appear to be fine.

Before it was a drink, coffee was used for handwashing

Five centuries before the caffeinated drink was consumed, coffee beans were used for their aromatic quality. One 10th-century text explains how it "obliterates greasy smells of food on hands and whatever of sweets and fats. Whether traveling or at home, neglect not to wash your hands with it."

Sweat doesn't smell, but bacteria multiply in moist environments—and cause an odor

Body odor is associated with sweat, but odor actually arises from the bacteria that multiply in moist environments on your skin. Hormones, medications, food, and body hair can all affect body odor.

Simple home improvements like proper insulation can reduce winter energy bills

To save money in the colder months, some experts recommend washing your clothes in cold water, using your dishwasher instead of washing dishes by hand, and more. This article lists even more winter money-saving tips.

Broken or neglected air conditioners are risky for respiratory health

A well-maintained air conditioner can typically keep out unwanted pathogens, but units that are dusty or water-logged can foster germs and cause harm. AC units also remove moisture from the air, potentially causing mucus membranes to dry out and become vulnerable to infection.

Who cleans the London Underground at night?

The London Underground, also known as the Tube, services millions of people every day. After the transit system closes each evening, a crew of workers known as “fluffers” gather to clean the underground tunnels. This article sheds light on these unnoticed cleaners, covering the difficulties of their jobs and the bizarre things they’ve encountered, from ghosts to nesting pigeons.

Pure water does not conduct electricity because this flow of energy requires the movement of charged particles, and water is a neutral molecule.

Heatstroke is when the body's core temperature becomes dangerously high—and needs to cool

Warning signs that the body is overheating include rapid breathing, cramps, heavy sweating, nausea, and feeling lightheaded. Drinking plenty of fluids, seeking shade, and cooling the body down as quickly as possible with icepacks can help reduce the risk of heatstroke.

The boiling temperature of water decreases with increasing elevation because the molecules need less energy to overcome the lower atmospheric pressure associated with thinner air.

View thermophiles found in Hot Springs National Park, including nanobacteria and ostracods

Most organisms in this subset of extremophiles live at temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees Celsius (140 to 176 degrees Fahrenheit), which is hot enough to unfold proteins needed for most biochemical reactions. In thermophiles, these molecules, including those needed to replicate DNA during cellular division, are tightly packed and held by stronger bonds to resist changes in shape.

The benefits of sous vide: cooking food in bags immersed in water

Through this technique, food can be prepared to precise temperatures lower than those of open flames, without the risk of overcooking, with less oil, fat, and salt, and without requiring ongoing attention. By allowing for long cooking times, tougher cuts of meat can also be prepared at lower temperatures.

The 1980s brought luxury items into the bathroom

Companies produced items like waterproof radios and targeted them at people under 30, marketing the devices as hip ways to stay clean.

An investigation suggests a Scottish island became awash in forever chemicals via seafoam and seaspray—raising questions about what that means for the safety of other coastal areas.

The use of fungi to detoxify land and water—a process known as mycoremediation—has been used to clean up natural resources affected by the 2025 California wildfires.

Bone marrow (soft tissue found inside certain bones) generates roughly 500 billion new blood cells each day

See how Budweiser's famous Clydesdales spend their days at Warm Springs Ranch, where roughly 70 to 80 of the beer brand's giant horses can be found at any given time.

Studies suggest when you sleep is as important as how much you get, and syncing with your circadian rhythms may lead to less fatigue and improved long-term health outcomes

Between 10 million and 50 million people in the US develop rashes from poison ivy, poison sumac, and poison oak each year.

Explore what it's like inside a patient isolation unit, used in situations such as treating a patient or suspected patient with Ebola.

A pickleball's loud 'pop' sound can reach 120 decibels, which is equivalent to a hammer hitting a nail

For centuries, Niagara Falls has been a magnet for daredevils seeking to conquer one of nature's most powerful wonders, with its 200-foot drop and water rushing at 32 feet per second with 280 tons of force.

The history of many kitchen appliances involves unexpected discoveries and applications, including wartime radar turned hamster defroster and replacing an 'ice king' with heat-stealing boxes.

The price of gas is a composite made up of several different factors, with the federal gas tax making up less than 20% of what drivers pay at the pump.

Explore the history, structure, and species of Australia's Great Barrier Reef with this interactive journey narrated by Sir David Attenborough.

The American Society of Civil Engineers' infrastructure report card gave the US a C in 2025, its highest grade since the project launched in 1998.

Double world record holder Hunter Ewen helped conquer his fear of balloons, called globophobia, by training to win Guinness World Record titles for balloon inflation.

Some coin denominations have ridges etched on their sides, partly to prevent counterfeiting, in a practice called 'reeding.'

Take a 3D tour of the Hajj, Islam's annual pilgrimage to Mecca, undertaken by more than 1.5 million Muslims each year.

The Mona Lisa's celebrity status and repeated restorations have obscured what made the painting so revolutionary for its time

Apollo astronauts left items in the moon's 'toss zone,' including golf balls, family photos, and bags of human waste, to make room for lunar rocks.

SpongeBob exemplifies Aristotle's philosophy for living well because he understands that happiness doesn't come from external factors like money, recognition, or power.

The US first hosted the World Cup in 1994, a tournament that lives in soccer infamy for its poor planning and the murder of Colombian player Andres Escobar, who'd accidentally scored on his own net.

When you complete a CAPTCHA on a website to prove you are human, you may be unknowingly training algorithms for self-driving cars, whose systems require training data to help identify crosswalks, bicycles, and other outdoor objects.

After the Boston Tea Party, colonists switched to coffee, which became the main morning drink for revolutionaries.