Hidden spot you’d never think to clean in your reusable cup — how to clean it
Everyone loves their emotional support water bottle, but not everyone washes them as much as they should.
With the hype surrounding the Stanley tumblers, people are starting to realize that mold has built up in their water bottles — whether it be in the lid, the straw or the body of the tumbler.
One person went viral on TikTok in a video that racked up 9.5 million views showing her followers what she saw when she went to clean her Stanley.
Skylar (@skysayingthings) shared that she typically just removes the straw from the lid to wash the top.
But when she discovered that she could pop off the small compartment lid, she discovered mold sitting underneath and screamed.
“I literally have mold,” Skylar said, alarmed. “This is so gross.”
Another TikTokker found mold in the body of the cup — and said she was drinking out of it the whole weekend prior and the morning of during her workout.
“Never underestimate how often you need to wash your Stanley cup,” creator @nicolekramer_ said in the video with 82,600 views.
Nicole posted a photo of the inside of her Stanley at the beginning of the video, and specks of mold can be seen.
She continued, “I’ve had the worst sore though, I had no idea why, look inside my cup this morning…I don’t even want to see the straw.
One person even commented on the TikTok to share, “I got a really bad bacterial infection and nearly died (not exaggerating at all) from not washing a straw once lol.”
Many in the comments said to wash the Stanley every day before refilling — and experts agree.
Kyle Casteel, Senior Hydration Product Manager at Stanley, told People that any cup including the Stanley “should be washed after each use.”
“Keep your Stanley clean both inside and out for sanitary sipping!” he advised.
Luckily for the lazy girl Stanley customers, most of their products are dishwasher safe, so throwing it in the dishwasher is the easiest way to go.
If you prefer to wash by hand, he suggests using warm water, mild detergent and drying with a clean towel or air drying.
It’s important to separate all the parts of the tumbler: the lid, straw and tab from the lid itself. Clean each part on its own with soap and a sponge, and use a narrow brush for the straw. Finally, rinse everything with hot water and dry the individual parts.
For those who haven’t cleaned their Stanley in a while — or ever — Casteel suggested to “use a mixture of one-part baking soda and one-part warm water, and soak for up to an hour. Then clean with mild detergent once the solution is rinsed out.”
A study from early 2023 by waterfilterguru.com found that reusable bottles can have 40,000 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat – describing them as being like a “portable Petri dish.”
Needless to say, it’s important to make washing your water bottles a part of your daily routine.
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