# Gatorade bottles

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-bottles/233347>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 9, 2004, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-bottles/233347 "2004-03-09T21:11:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ShepherdWong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@ShepherdWong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShepherdWong)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-bottles/233347/1 "2004-03-09T21:11:17Z")

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So to save money I use old plastic Gatorade bottles as water bottles. I was informed by someone drinking from a Nalgene bottle that it was unhealthy 😃 . This sounds fishy to me. Anyone aware of any health concerns? I can’t seem to find anything on the web to support her claims.  
Thanks.

-Shepherd Wong.

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**Author:** ![ShepherdWong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@ShepherdWong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShepherdWong)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-bottles/233347/2 "2004-03-09T21:18:30Z")

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I found numerous sites explaining this hoax just after I hit submit. Apparently my google searching skilzz need to be refined. Disregard thread immediatly!

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**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-bottles/233347/3 "2004-03-09T21:48:42Z")

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Read what Snopes has to say on this subject.

[http://www.snopes.com/toxins/bottles.asp](http://www.snopes.com/toxins/bottles.asp)

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**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-bottles/233347/4 "2004-03-09T22:03:19Z")

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I frequently urinate in them when I’m driving and don’t feel like stopping. Maybe you shouldn’t use one of those.

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**Author:** ![fluffball86](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@fluffball86](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluffball86)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-bottles/233347/5 "2004-03-09T22:08:23Z")

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I doubt the issue is the carcenogen thing, but the bacteria thing.

From Snopes

> [@](#):
>
> Some organizations (including the IBWA) do recommend that plastic water bottles be used only once before recycling, but not because re-use is likely to cause carcinogenic compounds to leach from the plastic bottles into the liquids they hold. The concern is that people (particularly children) can too easily spread and ingest bacteria from their hands and mouths by re-using bottles without properly washing them or allowing them sufficient time to dry.

When you drink from a bottle there is some back wash, then bacteria start to grow. My mom who is an RN is always telling be that I should be washing my water bottle because of the bacteria growing in there.

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**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-bottles/233347/6 "2004-03-09T22:25:01Z")

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I have recently read things similar to fluffball86. But if you wash the bottle out each time, you should be safe.

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**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-bottles/233347/7 "2004-03-09T23:16:35Z")

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> [@lieu](#):
>
> I frequently urinate in them when I’m driving and don’t feel like stopping. Maybe you shouldn’t use one of those.

And the difference between that and Gatorade is?