When people switch to reusable straws, it is usually done with the best of intentions – especially to reduce the amount of landfill waste they produce on a daily basis. They’re great when you first start using them, but it won’t take long before the entire set sits on the bottom of the sink and you run out of clean straws.
Sure, they came with that little brush, but it takes some effort. “I just rinse them out,” you think. Or maybe because you only use them for water, you assume that they are kind of self-cleaning. Unfortunately, this is not the case. And like any other place that is frequently exposed to moisture, reusable straws tend to fill up with bacteria.
Let’s give you the benefit of the doubt and say that if you only knew how to do it, you would definitely clean your reusable straws. Well you’re in luck because Elsie Yang is walking us through the process in an article on Well + Good. Here’s what you should know.
How to clean reusable straws
Most reusable straws are made of metal, plastic, bamboo, or silicone, and the way you clean them varies by type. Here are your options:
The little brush
There’s one method that works for all types and it’s with this little brush. “Make a soap and water mixture and stick the brush into reusable straws made of whatever material and rub back and forth to make sure you’ve removed all of the particles,” writes Yang. “Then rinse the soap out of the straw.”
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The dishwasher
While technically all types of reusable straws can go in the dishwasher, Yang notes that plastic ones will eventually crumble and deform. Metal, bamboo, and silicon are all good at this. But make sure you put them over the tines or in the cutlery basket so that jets of water and detergent can get into the straw as well. Simply putting it down flat does not help.
Boil
Some silicon, metal, and bamboo straws can be sterilized in boiling water, Yang says. But before you throw them in the pot, first check their washing instructions (just in case it’s not prohibited).
