How Should I Clean my Travel Mug?

A reusable travel mug is an everyday essential for those who need their caffeine fix to keep them going throughout the day. But because of its frequent use, travel mugs need to be cleaned regularly to remove odours and prevent bacteria from developing.

Here are a few tips on how to best clean your travel mug to ensure your mug is sparkly clean.

Travel Mugs

If you have the luxury of a dishwasher to wash your travel mug, then great! But, there are a few things you need to consider before loading your mug in the machine.

Travel mugs among other cups should always be placed on the top rack of the dishwasher to prevent contamination from food. However, this depends on what the travel mug is made from and if you have personalised your mug or bottle, it might not be able to go into the dishwasher. For example, travel mugs made from bamboo cannot go into dishwashers.

You may also want to consider washing by hand if your travel mug has an intricately painted design. Using the dishwasher may cause the artwork to discolour and ruin.

Washing your travel mugs manually

Manual washing may be more convenient for travel mugs as you can clean those hard-to-reach nooks and crannies that a conventional dishwasher cannot reach. Especially the lid of the mug which is a haven for microorganisms.

The best way to manually wash your travel mug is to rinse the mug under hot water straight after drinking to dislodge any stains. First, soak the lid in a mix of hot water and washing up liquid to loosen any dried liquid. Whilst the lid is soaking clean the travel mug with dish soap and a scrubbing brush.

Make sure to remove any residue from the beverage at the bottom. Then a minute of rinsing will remove all the soapy residue from the lid and the mug itself.

Allow the mug and lid to dry separately before screwing the lid back on. If you screw the lid on straight away the lid can hold water, allowing contaminants to lie in the crevices around the inside of the mug.

If you are not sure that all the remaining coffee or tea is removed through routine cleaning, distilled white vinegar and baking powder can be used for a deeper seamless clean.

Baking soda is an excellent natural cleaning ingredient. It is a mild abrasive which neutralises odours and causes dirt to dissolve, without damaging the travel mug.

For a deeper clean, first, mix 1 teaspoon of baking powder to 120ml of vinegar. Let the mixture foam in the mug until it subsides. Screw the lid on your travel mug tightly and shake the mixture vigorously. Make sure the cleaning solution coats the inside of the mug.

Pour the mixture out and rinse the mug and lid with warm water. Then follow the same instructions for a routine clean and soak the mug in washing up liquid and warm water.

Rinse off the soapy residue and leave the mug and lid to dry separately overnight. Following these tips will leave your travel mug sparkling!

Whether you want to simply remove stains as part of your daily routine clean, or if you have an older travel mug that you want to rejuvenate and give some life to, follow these simple tips to ensure your travel mug is sparkly clean.

Remember, the reason why travel mugs are eco friendly is that they can be reused countless times!