I always get this question from my fellow coffee lovers: how often should you wash your coffee mug? It kind of has the same logic as to why make your bed every day when you’ll just sleep in it again a few hours later. Since you’re using it for the same thing, it seems kind of a bother to wash it every day. So, let me tell you now, you must.
Wash your reusable coffee mugs every day. Yes, I know you use it every day for the same thing. But the hot coffee plus all the sugar and creamer makes it the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. It can also leave stains and foul odor in your mugs. This can cause nausea and stomachache, or even food poisoning. Not to mention coffee wouldn’t taste as good in it compared to a freshly cleaned mug.
Won’t the heat from coffee kill the bacteria? No, it won’t. That only works for hot water itself. As soon as you add other ingredients in it, hot water doesn’t work the same. Then you hold the mug with your hands that could have been anywhere else. You touch your computer with it, some documents that you may have to sign, give a high five, or shake hands with someone.
Then for us ladies, the lip make-up also adds up in encouraging the birth of microorganisms in our reusable coffee cups. Therefore, more reason to wash our coffee cups more often. You don’t necessarily have to wash it if you’re refilling it right after the first cup of coffee. But if you’re not planning to get another cup until like 3 or 4 hours, for the love of the coffee Gods, please at least rinse it with hot water to get rid of the coffee residues.
This is the same if you’re getting your daily cup of joe from your favorite coffee shop. Just think about the barista taking the lid off your mug and seeing that week old crust of coffee at the bottom of it. I don’t think you want your $4 coffee touching that grossness, do you? I know I don’t. 😉
Frequently Asked Questions:
What Is The Easiest Type Of Coffee Mug To Clean?
There are about a million coffee mugs out there that claim to be the best in what they do. And though there is indeed no one perfect mug, not all reusable insulated mugs are created equal. From my experience, I find it easiest to clean a coffee mug to handle.
It has a wide opening too so cleaning it every day is easy as can be. I can put my hand in and thoroughly clean it after my shift is over. The lid is easy to clean too which can be a rare find. It also has a lot of colors to choose from that is easy to match your style. It’s efficient in doing its job of keeping your coffee hot and it’s easy to clean and use.
If you agree and we got you looking for one, our post on the best insulated coffee mug with handle will be of great help.
How Should You Clean Your Water Bottles?
For daily cleaning, I just use warm water and soap. I fill it with warm water, add a couple of drops of dish soap. Put the lid on and shake it for a few seconds. Then rinse it again with warm water. For the exterior, I use a clean sponge and rub off any coffee stains. Make sure not to forget the bottom of the cup since I put it on top of different surfaces throughout the day. Then rinse it again with warm water and air dry it after.
I do a thorough cleaning once or twice a week to just remove all the memories of the past week and start anew.
Even if you only use your reusable drinking container for water, it can still be a breeding ground for bacteria. There can be a lot of factors that contribute to it. This is highly likely if you take your water bottle to the gym or for a run since it’s exposed to different surroundings. Also, when you’re in the gym you touch all those machines and equipment then take a sip from the bottle with the same hand.
There’s also the temperature factor. If you leave it in the car’s cup holder and it is exposed in direct sunlight, it makes the bacteria grow faster. Same if you leave a water bottle in your room for more than 12 hours. It will also make the water taste “stale”. To learn more, please check out our blog on Does Bacteria Grow in Water Bottles.
I hope this answers all your questions about cleaning your beloved coffee mugs. If you have any other concerns about using reusable drinking containers, leave me a comment below and I’ll try to answer them as best as I can. ♥
