FAQ

Cleaning a Reusable Straw

Can mold grow in a metal straw?

Mold does not grow on stainless steel. It grows on whatever you leave inside it. Steel has no pores for anything to take hold in, so a straw that gets rinsed after use has nothing to feed on. A straw that sat in a bag for four days with the last of a smoothie in it is a different story, and the material will not save you there. This is the single most searched question about metal straws, and the answer is about habit, not metal.

How do you clean a reusable metal straw?

Run water through it right after you use it. That handles most of it. Once a day, or after anything thick like a smoothie or a milk drink, push a brush through it — the bristles need to touch the whole inside wall, which is why a brush sized for the straw matters more than how long you scrub. Every wristraw ships with a metal-bristle brush made for exactly that.

How often does a reusable straw actually need a deep clean?

If you drink water and iced coffee through it, a rinse after each use and a brush once a day is enough. If you drink smoothies, protein shakes, or anything with milk or pulp, brush it the same day, every time. Those leave a film on the inside wall that water alone will not lift, and that film is what everything else grows on.

What happens if you do not clean it?

The same thing that happens to any container you leave a drink in. A residue film builds on the inside wall, and given a few warm days it starts to smell. Caught early it comes off with a brush and hot water. Left long enough you will want to soak it in a vinegar solution before brushing. Nothing about this is specific to metal — it is what happens to a bottle, a tumbler, or a plastic straw under the same neglect.