This Is How Often You Should Be Cleaning Your Reusable Straws

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If you're concerned about the environment, there's a good chance you've changed up your straw game from single-use to reusable. For several years, we've been learning more about straws' contribution to plastic waste and our carbon footprint than ever. They're part of the waste that pollutes our oceans and harms sea life. Many restaurants, coffee shops, and bars have switched to paper or bamboo straws as multiple initiatives have rolled out to limit single-use plastics. For individuals, the affordable and sustainable approach lies in metal or stainless steel straws, which we can use both at home and out on the go. But for health and safety reasons, these straws require a little extra attention to cleaning. Most importantly, do you know how often you should be washing yours?

The best reusable straws are sturdy and durable, and maybe even fit our style preferences, whether they're iridescent or copper-toned. But they still require maintenance. In fact, reusable straws should be cleaned after every use. If you only drink water from yours, you can clean it at the end of each day. But each time you use it, bacteria get on and into the straw — and the longer that accumulates, the more dangerous it is for your health. Plus, you certainly don't want the flavors of different non-water beverages mingling together. If you're out, make sure to at least rinse your straw to remove build-up until you can do a more thorough wash at home. You should also make a habit of a weekly deep clean and monthly sterilization.

Drinks taste differently — for the better — through a straw. When food or drink heats up in our mouths, volatile organic compounds get released. This is how we perceive flavor. Straws limit the surface area on our tongues that a liquid can hit, which makes it heat up faster, releasing lots of those flavor-explosive compounds. So, it's worth a few minutes of cleaning to get a maximum flavor impact from your beverages, while being sustainable and healthy.

For quick rinses, use hot water for your reusable straw. When home, scrub both the interior and exterior with dishwashing soap and a straw-cleaning brush, which often comes with sets like this Hiware pack of 12 stainless steel straws. It's also a good idea to let straws soak in warm, soapy water. Make sure you rinse them until all soap is gone, and air-dry them. You can also place straws in the dishwasher if they're marked as dishwasher-safe, like these Nightingale reusable silicone straws.

For a weekly deep cleaning, employ a paste of equal parts baking soda and water. Use your brush or a pipe cleaner to get it inside the straw and let it sit for 10 minutes before cleaning out. Alternatively, let straws sit in a water-and-vinegar mixture for half an hour. 

Once a month, it's smart to totally sterilize reusable straws in boiling water. With this routine, you can happily stay eco-friendly even if an executive order banning paper straws passes.