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Do you use reusable straws at home? In some parts of the country, in an effort to stop plastic waste, plastic straws have been replaced with paper straws. While I love paper straws for a party, we’ve recently been using reusable straws at home for everyday use. They’re great with one exception: cleaning them is tricky. I like to put them through the dishwasher to get disinfected but I can’t always guarantee that the dishwasher gets the inside clean. A friend of mine recently shared a great way to clean reusable straws and I thought I’d share it here. It’s so simple that I can’t believe I haven’t thought of it before. You’ll have to let me know if this is the trick you use or if you have another life hack for cleaning straws!
Plastic straws and stainless steel straws are perfect for using for drinks at home but I do get a bit creeped out about what might be lingering inside the straw, even after it goes through a cycle in the dishwasher. Smoothies and other thick drinks tend to leave residue behind and if they’re not rinsed right after using, the dishwasher doesn’t always remove it all.
Chenille pipe cleaners are the answer! They’re easy to find {you can buy them at the dollar store, craft stores, and most big box stores} and they’re cheap!
One pipe cleaner isn’t quite thick enough to really clean the insides of the straw so, for best results, twist two pipe cleaners together.
Twist them tightly enough that they won’t fall apart but not so tight that they won’t fill the inside of the straw.
Wet the pipe cleaner and add dish soap if desired then feed the end of the twisted pipe cleaner into the straw and pull it all the way through. If any residue remains inside the straw, rinse the pipe cleaner and repeat.
Rinse the inside of the straw thoroughly with water then wash the outside of the straw as you normally would, by hand or in the dishwasher.
The pipe cleaners can also be rinsed and reused unless they appear too dirty and then simply replace them with new ones during the next washing.
If you have another way to clean straws, I’d love to hear it. Or do you prefer to use disposable?
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