A microbiologist has put a common childhood tradition to the test, drinking water straight from a garden hose — and the results might surprise you. Nicholas Aicher, a senior quality control analyst known for his viral cleanliness experiments, shared his latest findings with his nearly half a million social media followers.
His recent video, which quickly racked up over 800,000 views, focused on analyzing the bacterial content of water from his backyard hose. Speaking to What’s The Jam, Aicher explained that his mission is to highlight “all the little nastiness we don’t think about every day,” and to share it in a way that is both educational and fun.
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In the video, Aicher set out to answer a question many people have wondered about: “How dirty is a garden hose?” Challenging the long-held belief, particularly among “older folk,” that hose water is perfectly safe to drink, Aicher collected a water sample and took it back to his lab for testing, as told to Safety Health magazine.
The process involved incubating the water sample in a petri dish before conducting a thorough bacterial inspection. To the surprise of many viewers, Aicher found no trace of harmful bacteria in the sample. He concluded, “Looks like the hose is good to go!”
The video immediately sparked a flurry of reactions, earning over 100,000 likes and thousands of comments from nostalgic viewers. One person commented: “Hose water is so damn good.”
Another shared their own experience, writing: “Drank unfiltered rain water and got sick for over a week, upset stomach, puke, no appetite, fever. Hose water never got sick.”
The findings resonated especially with older generations. “That’s also why Gen X wasn’t sick much,” noted one user. “I mean, I survived and I put my whole mouth on that spout,” added another. Another commenter chimed in, “That’s why you have an immune system.”
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This isn’t the first time Aicher has captured the public’s imagination with his relatable science experiments. He previously went viral for investigating the popular “five-second rule” — the idea that food dropped on the floor is still safe to eat if picked up quickly.
In that study, Aicher found that contamination occurred almost immediately, regardless of whether food touched the floor for a second or a full minute. His findings debunked the myth, concluding that dropped food becomes “nasty” far faster than many might think.
With his accessible approach and engaging experiments, Aicher continues to challenge everyday assumptions about cleanliness, health, and safety — one viral test at a time.
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