The inside of your straws can contain many dirt,
fluids, and bits and pieces of food. If left uncleaned, these pieces of food
and dirt would accumulate and clog your straw. Not only would you be unable to
use your stainless-steel straws properly anymore, using your straw when
drinking a drink may result in a weird aftertaste and the drink may not taste
natural due to all the dirt clogged in the straw. It is thus important to clean
your stainless
steel straw effectively if you are going to reuse them. Here
are some tips on how you can clean your metal straws effectively and keep them
free of mold and food particles.
Handwash Your Straws
You can opt for cleaning the straws by placing
them in a dishwasher, but they would not be as clean as compared to if you wash
them by hand. This is because the dishwasher is unable to properly sterilize,
scrub and disinfect the interior of the straw even though it has a bent
neck.
All the water jets and sprays from the dishwasher
only wash the exterior of the straw, thus the interior would still be dirty and
unclean. This is despite the exterior of the straw looking polished and clean.
If you decide to handwash your stainless steel straws, you may be in for a
shock as the first time you handwash your straws the water may be very brown
and muddy due to the dirt and food particles clogged up in the interior of the
straw. This is especially if you do not regularly clean your straws and use
them frequently.
If you are going to handwash your straws, there
are a few things you will need. These are liquid detergent, hot water, and sturdy
pipe cleaners. You should also aim to handwash your straws in
the sink with a sink stopper so that the hot water mixed with liquid detergent
will properly soak into your straws. Alternatively, if your sink does not have
a sink stopper, you can also opt to rinse them in a basin or large bowl.
Scrub The Interior
Scrubbing the interior is important for ensuring that your
stainless steel straws are clean. This is because all the food particles and
fluids are sucked up through the interior. Thus, the interior of the straw,
which is the hardest part to access, is the dirtiest part of the straw.
After soaking your stainless steel straws in the hot water mixed
with liquid detergent solution, you should use pipe cleaners to scrub the
interior of the straw. Make sure that the pipe cleaner you are using is sturdy
and flexible in case your straw has a bend. Go up one end of the straw through
to the other end and scrub the interior thoroughly. Then, bring the pipe
cleaner back the opposite way.
Every time you scrub
the interior of the straw using the pipe cleaner, remember to rinse the straw
in the hot soapy water and repeat the steps as many times as needed till the
straw interior is clean and the water is clear. You will be surprised by how
dirty your straw interior is. If the water becomes too muddy and dirty, rinse
it away and start with a fresh solution of hot, soapy water.
