How to wash a stainless steel thermos?

With the sudden drop in temperature, people are turning to stainless steel thermos to warm their stomachs. While most people use them for hot water, some office workers also like to bring hot coffee, hot milk, hot tea, and other beverages into the office to sip slowly before a busy day. Однако, doctors remind us that «it’s not recommended to drink beverages from a thermos slowly; they should be consumed as quickly as possible.» It’s also best to wash them immediately after use. Avoid harsh scrubbing with a steel brush; a sponge and detergent are the best solution.

Avoid using a steel brush to clean thermoses.

Whether нержавеющая сталь or ceramic, it’s recommended to clean thermoses immediately after use. Most people use them for hot water, but a few also use them for beverages, such as soy milk, milk, and coffee. You can also add some detergent and use a sponge to clean them.

Experts warn that most thermoses are made of stainless steel. «I strongly discourage using a steel brush to clean them. Never use a sharp steel brush on a stainless steel thermos. Stainless steel shouldn’t rust, but using a steel brush can damage the surface and potentially cause rust, requiring replacement.»

He believes that if people notice rust after vigorous scrubbing with a steel brush, it’s time to replace the thermos. Ceramic thermoses can be washed with water or detergent. If simply filling a thermos with hot water, clean water is sufficient. For coffee, milk, or soy milk, washing with water can be problematic, so detergent is fine; regular dishwashing liquid is also acceptable.

Beware of tech sponges: they become more toxic the more you wash them.

In addition, experts note that many people use commercially available «tech sponges» that promise a bright, white finish to clean tea stains and limescale. This is strongly discouraged. Tech sponges are made from a material similar to melamine, which contains a combination of melamine and formaldehyde. Tech sponges are not suitable for washing thermoses or any other food containers, including bowls, cups, and chopsticks.

Melamine releases melamine during cleaning. If not rinsed thoroughly, ingesting the melamine can be harmful and increase the risk of kidney stones.

He further explained that with the recent cold weather, housewives are using warm water to wash dishes at home. Using a tech sponge for warm water dishwashing may reveal that the dish sponge, which is large at first, becomes smaller with each wash. This is because the tech sponge begins to melt and releases trimethylolamine. While tech sponges are useful, they are not recommended for washing dishes or thermoses. They should only be used for cleaning glass, countertops, and floors.

Thermos need to be thoroughly cleaned daily.

Experts believe that «daily cleaning with detergent is recommended to minimize tea stains and limescale.» If a thermos is not washed today and then washed tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, bacteria will accumulate, making it impossible to wash out. Some thermoses may even develop a «biofilm,» which is also undesirable. He added that when a stainless steel thermos rusts or develops numerous scratches after prolonged use, it’s time to replace it.

Experts note that office workers often bring hot milk or coffee to the office in the winter and drink it slowly from morning to afternoon. This practice is not recommended. Even if the thermos is kept warm, it should be consumed as quickly as possible. Medically, there’s a «danger temperature» between 7 и 60 degrees Celsius, where most microorganisms thrive.

In other words, if you put a cup of hot milk in a thermos in the morning, it will be immediately hot, над 70 degrees Celsius. As you slowly drink it in the afternoon, it will cool down and eventually reach a dangerous temperature between 7 и 60 degrees Celsius. Continuing to drink it could put you at risk of food poisoning. «A thermos isn’t a panacea. It’s not recommended to slowly drink hot drinks from a thermos; it’s best to finish it as soon as possible.»