Sippy cups are quite possibly one of the most utilized kids accessories. And quite possibly the grossest! You’ve seen the posts going around on Facebook: a mom takes a sippy cup apart only to find it completely filled with mold. It’s beyond disgusting! It is also preventable with proper cleaning. As you probably already know, mold is a health hazard and could make your child very sick. If you ever find a cup (or bath toy, food pouch, etc.) filled with mold you should really discard it right away. Always examine your cups prior to filling them with drinks and handing them over to your child. And always ALWAYS take your sippy cups apart for a thorough washing, every single time. You should also follow these tips to ensure your child’s sippy cups are properly cleaned to prevent mold:
How to Clean Sippy Cups
- Rinse cup after use, even if you don’t have time to wash it yet.
- Take cup apart for washing. That means removing the lid, the internal straw (a specialty bottle brush will do the trick), and the external straw that touches their mouths. Make sure each piece is separated from the others.
- Hand wash thoroughly with warm water and dish soap or wash in the dishwasher.
- Once washed, lay all parts out to dry before putting cup back together.
- When you reassemble the cup, do a thorough examination to confirm it is clean and there is no food, beverage residue, or mold inside any pieces.
When a sippy cup is found full of mold, it is usually because it isn’t being taken apart and washed properly. Get into the habit of doing a weekly soak in a bowl of water mixed with 1/2 a cup of vinegar and a tablespoon (or a good squeeze) of dish soap to prevent mold. I also like to do a sanitizing rinse in my dishwasher once a week. If you are constantly battling the small parts of your sippy cups falling through the dishwasher racks, you can purchase an add-on dishwasher basket on Amazon or at someplace like Target or Bed Bath & Beyond.
Follow the above steps to keep your sippy cups clean and mold-free. At the end of the day, if your cups have mold, then you probably aren’t cleaning them properly.
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