Is drinking from a water dispenser really hygienic?
Opening the back cover of an 80% new water dispenser, taking out the pot-shaped heating tank inside with a diameter of about 10 cm and a height of about 20 cm, you can see the inner tank covered with a grayish-white paste-like substance.
This white substance is "scale", which can breed large amounts of bacteria, residue, and even red worms. Drinking water boiled from such a "scale tank" frequently can cause diseases of the digestive, nervous, urinary, and hematopoietic systems. The domestic usage of similar water dispensers is as high as 99.3%, which means 99.3% of water dispensers are toxic.
The inner tank of the water dispenser is made of stainless steel or aluminum. Long-term heating of the inner tank will produce carcinogenic nitrites. Ordinary water, when repeatedly heated and boiled for a long time, becomes "re-boiled water".
To clean a water dispenser at home, you must especially clean the water outlet, the base of the water bottle, and the inner tank. There are two common methods: one is to use a disinfectant for cleaning, which can be bought in some professional markets or online; for example, acidic detergents can be used to deal with scale. The other is to use concentrated lemon water for cleaning. Regardless of which cleaning agent you use, you must rinse the water dispenser with clean bottled water afterward until the disinfectant residue is completely washed away.
The steps for cleaning a water dispenser are as follows: turn off the power of the water dispenser; drain any remaining water from the dispenser through the water outlet; clean the exterior of the water dispenser and the base interface; pour the special cleaning disinfectant into the water storage tank; after 10 minutes, open the red and green water faucets until the disinfectant is completely drained; unscrew the drain valve on the back or bottom of the machine to drain all the disinfectant from the water dispenser; rinse repeatedly with boiling water or pure water until there is no smell at all; tighten the drain valve, and the disinfection and sterilization process is complete.
Bottled water that has been opened for more than 15 days should not be consumed, as prolonged exposure can also lead to the growth of impurities and bacteria.
First: When a water dispenser is in use, air continuously enters the bottle. Bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms enter the bottled water along with the air. Carbon monoxide, dust, pests, and mold present in the air, as well as harmful gases such as formaldehyde emitted from packaging materials, also enter the water dispenser through the water and gas exchange, becoming a "breeding ground" for bacteria and other microorganisms.
Second: There are structural dead spots where the water dispenser's smart seat contacts the bottle. These dead spots are inherently difficult to clean, and if not cleaned for a long time, they become the best breeding ground for bacteria and viruses.
Third: Quality problems with the water dispenser itself. For example, the material issues mentioned above, such as the use of stainless steel and aluminum materials.
It seems that the problems with water dispensers are quite serious. So why can this industry produce so many substandard products without restraint? A company president engaged in this business said that this "conscience" industry, due to the lack of social responsibility among companies and the absence or misplacement of regulatory oversight, has become a "black-hearted" industry that only knows how to make money and is irresponsible.