Aussie woman's 'horrifying' find inside Frank Green water bottle

A Victorian woman has shared her disgust at discovering black mould has been growing inside the reusable water bottle straw she has been drinking out of for years.

Saying it's her "own fault" for not knowing to clean the metal straw inside her Frank Green water bottle, who say on their website to clean all parts regularly, Kayla said her sister was the one to bring it to her attention.

"I was like, 'I don't clean the straw... do I need to?' I only drink water out of it," the business owner said on TikTok. "And she's like 'yes you need to clean the straw because you're going to have mould in it'. The woman revealed she has owned her bottle for three years.

"Chunks of black mould" can be seen inside the metal straw shown in the video, with viewers calling the discovery "horrifying". "I feel so sick about this," the small business owner said on TikTok. "I've probably been drinking it, because mould wouldn't stick to the side. It would've been coming up the straw when I'm drinking out of the bottle."

Kayla also mentioned she has been feeling sick for the last three years, wondering if using a mouldy water bottle could be what's causing nausea and vomiting. "This could genuinely be life-changing for me if my sister has figured out why I'm getting sick all the time," she said.

"I'm not saying this is what's definitely wrong but there's also a pattern where I'm never sick on weekends... I have my drink bottle on my desk at work and I wasn't drinking it on weekends, or when I was away on holidays."

Kalya is not the only one who hasn't been properly washing her reusable water bottle, with many others revealing their dirty secrets.

Holly recently told Triple J she hasn't washed her popular Frank Green bottle in three years. "These things are almost $100, surely they're self-cleaning at this point," she joked on air. As one of the hosts asks her to rub her finger along the inside to see if it's slimy — as moisture creates a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi — she shockingly says the inside "feels like a snail".

"I just thought rinsing it in hot water would be fine," she admitted on the radio show.

While there isn't a huge risk, there is a likelihood of developing gastro or food poisoning from an unclean water bottle, Lydia Buchtmann from the Food Safety Information Council told the ABC. "All that mouth contact and saliva is a bacteria party waiting to happen," Choice says in an article. "Germs can get into containers from the skin and mouth of handlers, plus from the environment."

The Frank Green lucky bags shoppers are going wild for: 'Stoked'

Woman's 'disgusting' discovery in shower: 'Can't imagine the smell'

Girl, 7, placed on oxygen after mould found in family home: 'Heartbreaking'

According to the Australian Department of Health, reusable water bottles should be washed with warm soapy water every day, with some being dishwasher safe as well. For a more rigorous clean, bi-carb soda or vinegar is also recommended, as well as a scrub with a brush which is good for visible black mould spots.

"Don’t forget your lid and straw! Give the lid a great scrub with a toothbrush or a cotton swab to access those hard-to-reach places," The Cleaning Authority says in a blog post. "Straws can be washed with hot water, soap, and a straw cleaner brush, then thrown in the dishwasher." Metal or glass water bottles are recommended.

Do you have a story tip? Email: [email protected].

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.