5 Ways to Clean Thermos Bottle

Some say drinking warm water can improve wellbeing and many use a thermos bottle to carry warm water around. However, thermos bottles get dirty easily and if it is not cleaned regularly, researchers found that it may contain more bacteria than toilet plates! Let us teach you how to clean unused and used thermos bottles! Image: Pixabay

Unused thermos bottles cleaning method

Whether which bottle brand you are choosing, you may be very concerned about the smell of the new thermos bottle. You may be afraid of the chemical residues and would like to clean them before using them. The first time you clean the stainless-steel bottle is very simple. In addition to basically washing the cup with detergent, you can also add lemon slices and water to soak overnight, and then rinse with water to remove the odour in the bottle. If the lid or the silicon ring has a strange smell, you can put them in a ventilated place. If the smell is still there, you can also use lemon slices and water to soak overnight.

Used thermos bottles cleaning method

If you find that the inner container and rubber ring of the bottle are yellowish and dirty, you can use the following methods to try to clean them step by step:

1. Simple cleaning

First, soak with hot water at 60°C, and then use detergent to wipe off the surface dirt. Remember not to use hard scouring pads, brushes or stainless steel scourers to avoid scratching the coating, which makes dirt easier to accumulate. You can choose a soft brush or sponge. There are also some special brushes for cleaning thermos bottles. Pay attention to the fine position of the cup lid and rubber ring, and scrub with a soft toothbrush or a small water bottle.

2. Remove tea and coffee stains

Beverages such as tea, coffee and Chinese medicine will leave stains on the bottle. If you do not wash them thoroughly after each drink, the stains will become more and more difficult to clean. If these stains are found in the cup, the following two methods can be used to remove them:

• Put ice cubes into the thermos bottle, about a quarter of the height of a cup. Then, add 3 tablespoons of salt, cover the cup and shake the cup for 3 minutes, then rinse with warm water.
• Put the thermos bottle in the kitchen sink, add about one inch of white vinegar and 2 tablespoons of edible baking powder into the bottle, and then add hot water. You do not need to close the lid and the bubble will come out naturally, soak it for 1 to 2 hours and then scrub with warm water.

3. Remove odour

After drinking strong beverages such as traditional Chinese medicine, if the flavour remains in the cup, you can use white vinegar diluted with water to soak for half an hour and rinse with hot water to remove the strong smell.

4. Deep cleansing

If you want to do deep cleaning, you can clean it with oxygen-containing detergent every few months. For example, you can put the bottle in the kitchen sink and add hydrogen peroxide inside for an inch high. Then, add 1 tablespoon of edible baking powder and add boiling water. Bubbles will come out and the dirt will flow out with the bubble. Your cup will become very clean! Remember not to use chlorine cleaners for cleaning. Chlorine will damage the stainless steel surface and the inner container of the vacuum flask.

5. Time to replace the bottle

If none of the above methods can remove the dirt and odour, it means that the dirt has eroded into the bottle, and you may need to replace it with a new bottle.

Precautions for using thermos bottle

In order to prolong the life of the bottle, there are three things that cannot be done:

1. Don't carry carbonated drinks

You should avoid excessive internal pressure by not filling it with carbonated drinks, such as soft drinks.

2. Don't carry strong drinks

You should avoid colours and flavours remaining on the bottle by not carrying strong and dark beverages for a long time, such as Chinese medicine, tea, coffee, etc.

3. Don't carry acidic drinks

You should avoid metal substances releasing and damaging the stainless steel coating by not carrying acidic beverages such as orange juice or lactic acid drinks into the vacuum flask. The content and pictures of this article are provided and uploaded by the author. It does not represent the opinion of the company. If there are any copyright issues, please contact us. HKDecoman, now going global as Deco-Man, is a Hong Kong-based renovation platform which provides professional consultancy services and pioneers in the development of A.I. homeowner-engineer matching. We aim at educating the public about the art of home renovation and have our eyes on transforming the traditional renovation industry, bringing standardisation, transparency, convenience and automation to the business.