My water bottle landed me in the ER — it was ‘poisoning’ me for weeks

December 19, 2023

She can’t bottle up her feelings any longer.

Kae, a 19-year-old college student from Athens, Georgia, is sharing a tale of caution after improper cleaning of her mold-filled reusable Owala water bottle made her sick.

Kae posted a video on TikTok, where she goes by Kaebrie, detailing her ordeal that has since gained more than 3.3 million views since being posted five days ago.

She explained that she forgot to take the silicone stopper out of her bottle, which she suspected was the culprit of her illness.

“Hey, this is a PSA to anyone who owns an Owala,” she said.

“I got sick in August … I had a cold that, minor, you know? Lasted a week and then didn’t go away. Went to urgent care: bronchitis,” she said in the video.

“Of course, they give me an inhaler and then some pills and I, of course, break out in hives as a result of the pills,” she explained.

She said the bronchitis “takes longer than it should to go away,” though she finally got better after three weeks — but then was promptly greeted with a sinus infection.

She returned to the urgent care and got antibiotics and subsequently said she spent about a week and a half feeling illness-free before getting sick again.

She said she had a cold that lasted several weeks and she eventually had “the worst sore throat of my life.”

She went to urgent care for the fourth time in one school semester, at which time, she shared, the doctor looked at her throat and said, “Oh, my goodness. It’s a really angry throat — are you in pain?”

She was put on antibiotics again and decided that she was going to clean her water bottle — which was when she made a horrific discovery.

“This is where it goes downhill,” she explained.

“First of all, I know I don’t clean it as much as I should. No one does. I know it’s full of bacteria,” she continued.

She said she cleaned the bottle, followed by the lid, which she had to Google regarding how to clean properly, and then discovered that people in online forums like Reddit said the silicone piece of her water bottle had to be removed.

“I didn’t know it came out,” Kae lamented.

She said when she finally removed it, the stopper was “covered in mold” that had “embedded itself into the silicone.”

She subsequently ordered a replacement on Amazon and her bottle is as good as new.

“Once I cleaned it … got better,” she said. “Haven’t gotten sick since … I had mold poisoning from my water bottle.”

Owala’s website sells special cleaning tablets for their bottles that cost $9.99, as well as a bottle brush for $12.99.

The company also instructs people on how to clean their bottles, including the lids, on their website — even recommending daily cleaning.

“All lids are top-rack dishwasher safe and designed for easy cleaning. The spout gasket should be removed by using the convenient pull tab and cleaned separately. A sponge or straw brush can be used to access the nook or smaller spaces,” reads their website.

“Soaking the parts in distilled white vinegar beforehand will help break up buildup in inaccessible areas,” the description continues.

Owala provided The Post with the following statement: “One of the standout features of Owala bottles and tumblers is that they are designed to be easy to clean. The spout gasket, straw, and other parts are easily removable for thorough cleaning. Customers are welcome to reach out to our customer service team with any questions or concerns at [email protected].”

The Post reached out to Kae for comment.

Despite the cleaning instructions, others below Kae’s video said they had a similar experience.

“Me with a swollen lymph node for 6 months sipping my Owala,” one person said.

“Why do they make water bottles so hard to wash,” another said.

“I HAD A LEMON SEED STUCK IN THE STRAW I DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT AND MINE SPROUTED A LEAF … IN MY STRAW,” a shocked third user added.