Everyone loves enjoying a refreshing drink when they are tired and just want to relax. For this reason, people actually purchase their favorite mugs and straws because they like things aesthetic. However, the straws are notorious for building mold, particularly when you are using plastic straws. Commonly, metal straws give off an unpleasant aftertaste, while glass straws are not durable. On the other hand, plastic straws might be convenient to use, but they encourage mold growth, and this article is all about cleaning mold from the straw!
How To Get Mold Out Of A Straw?
In the majority of cases, people use plastic straws as they are easy to use and disposable, but they are also a breeding ground for different types of mold. In the majority of cases, the mold is caused by water and food particles coming into contact with each other within the straw. To illustrate, the particles tend to get stuck inside the straw, which results in mold growth. For the most part, if you consume something through molded straws, the stomach acid will be able to kill you, but it still carries a health risk.
Things To Do Before Cleaning Your Molded Straws
It doesn’t matter what the size of mold contamination is; you need to follow some safety precautions before you start clearing the molds. This is because the mold can trigger various allergic reactions and often leads to respiratory illnesses. So, before you start cleaning the straw, you need to wear an N-95 mask and gloves to protect yourself.
Cleaning The Mold From Your Straws
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Once you are ready with the safety gear, we can finally start cleaning the mold. However, you don’t have to worry because cleaning it is pretty convenient. The instructions that you need to follow for cleaning the straws include;
- First of all, you need to turn on the sink’s faucet and make sure the sink is halfway filled with warm and soapy water. Once the sink is filled up, you need to submerge your dirty straws, and if they float, you can place something heavy on the top to make sure it remains soaked. For dislodging the mold in the straws, the straws need to be soaked for over ten minutes
- Once the soaking is done, you can take off the heavy item from the top of the straws and turn on the sink’s faucet with warm water. Then, you need to run the warm and clean water through the straws, and it will help clear the larger mold particles
- Then, clear the soapy water from your sink
- When the kitchen sink is cleaned up, you can use a pipe cleaner for clearing the pipe. We suggest that you use terry cloth or chenille pipe cleaners, and it’s best to choose straight pipe cleaners. The pipe cleaner will make it easier to push away the mold from the straws. On the other hand, the pipe cleaner seems too small; you can opt for a wider pipe cleaner as well
- Now that the mold is cleared, you need to rinse your straw, and it’s best to repeat the process two to three times but keep using warm water
If you are unable to get your hands on special pipe cleaners, you can also opt for the dental floss and thread it across the straw to ensure everything is properly cleaned up. Not to forget, you should try to clean the straws as soon as you drink your beverages.
Preventing Mold Growth In Straws
It is needless to say that soap and warm water won’t be enough to clear the bacteria. To ensure full cleanup of fungal spores and bacteria, it’s essential that you sanitize your straws every week, and don’t forget to use distilled white vinegar of chlorine beach. For this purpose, you can fill up the sink with warm water and chlorine bleach and submerge your straws in that solution. The straws should be soaked in the chlorine bleach and water solution for around fifteen minutes. After the submerging, you need to rinse the straws and air dry them.
The bottom line is that cleaning the molded straws can be pretty easy, and knowing these tips will become handy. So, start cleaning and reusing your straws!