Brenda asked: I have a Contigo coffee travel mug. It seals by a vacuum-like press. How do I clean in the tight places of the lid? I use milk in my coffee and it gets yucky. I almost need a brush the size of a cotton swab, but bendable.
Table of Contents:
Cleaning the deep grooves of travel mug lids is a common problem and reason that many travel mugs end up in the trash. Whether it’s milk or sugar for coffee or tea, when these items get trapped, they lead to mold and growth that no one wants close to their beverages. To clean these grooves we have to think outside the box and re-task our cleaning tools.
You Will Need:
- Dish soap or detergent
- Warm water
- Soft cloths
- Bottle brush (some have nipple brushes as well that are smaller)
- Small brush (such as Wilton tip brush)
Steps to Wash the Mug:
- Fill the sink with warm water.
- Add a small amount of dish soap or dish detergent.
- Agitate the water to mix until suds form.
- Place the entire cup into the water so that it is completely submerged.
- Allow the cup to soak for several minutes to loosen any dried on dirt or drinks.
- Use a soft cloth or sponge to wash the surfaces, both inside and out.
- Use the bottle brush to clean the inside of the cup/mug and remove any residue from the beverages on the bottom.
- Use a small brush to clean the grooves and tight areas in the lid. This brush is built on a wire and can be bent to reach difficult areas.
- Rinse all pieces of the cup/mug thoroughly with clean water.
- Dry with a soft cloth.
- Set it on a drying rack and allow it to air dry completely.
- If any dirt or drink residue could not be removed, place the lid (and mug/cup if metal) into the dishwasher for additional cleaning.
Additional Tips and Advice
- To remove build up, some have found it helpful to fill the mug and add a polident tablet. Allow it to soak for several hours before washing and rinsing thoroughly.
- Always store the mugs and cups with the lids removed. This will prevent moisture from becoming trapped in the cup, and ward off mold and other growth.
- Metal cups can be placed in the dishwasher along with the lids. However, painted and ceramic cups should be hand washed. All lids can be washed in the dishwasher.
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Instead of Polident, you can use one tablespoon baking soda and 1 tablespoon vinegar + some water.
Clean the lid vigorously with water to get gunk out. Push the button a few times as you run water on it. Rinse the lid.
Over the sink, hold the lid on it’s back. Put about 2 warm tablespoon water INSIDE the lid.
Put the baking soda in. Shake the lid a bit so the baking soda dilutes in the water.
Now add the tablespoon vinegar. The water will fizz.
When it’s nearly done fizzing, push the button a few times so the mix cleans the “closed” area too.
Rinse the lid under warm water, and clean it. You’ll need to rinse REALLY well because it might smell like vinegar, but the smell will go away.
It takes less than 30 seconds, when you’re used to it.
If you frequent a coffee shop, ask the nice people behind the counter to “Steam your lid” using the high pressure steam from the Cappuccino machine. The people at my coffee shop do this for everyone who brings in their own mugs. It works great if done regularly, but not sure if it will work for lids or mugs that have been left to build-up mold.
I have had the stainless Contigo travel mug for about a year now. I am from the Seattle area and drink coffee, Kool-Aid and milk out of mine daily. I like it because I have real wood floors in my house and I don’t like for people or myself to spill the contents all over the floor. Also, I work outside for a living so it gets dropped by accident a lot. I guess its like a Timex – takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin’! Anyway, I put my mug in dishwasher and let it do its thing. Every now and then maybe throw some vinegar in there and agitate it, but beyond that, these things are a breeze to clean.
I swear by these mugs; LOVE THEM! The best way to clean out the top is to use the hottest water and pressure to get in the small areas. I left coffee in mine once and it got a big nasty, so I soaked it in hot soapy water for a few hours, then used the high power hot water to get all the small spots, then cleaned again. It worked great. I see here they are saying to put the mug in dishwasher. Disregard that. You can put the lid in, but not the mug itself because it is vacuum sealed. This may mess up the seal. Always best to clean the mug part by hand.
If you have an air compressor, I use a blower and hit the lid with 100 psi air after soaking. Gets all I can see out.
After soaking the lid, I use a pipe cleaner. Works well and is cheap.
Boiling the lid for 10 minutes helps get all the black gunk out of the inside of the lid. Just soap and water will not do it. I need to try the 30 second baking soda and vinegar treatment recommended here.
I’ve had the same Contigo stainless steel travel mug for almost 3 1/2 years and I use it daily. I am just now considering replacing it because the auto-seal button actually comes off when I wash it. Amazingly, it still doesn’t even leak!! It’s a travel mug that after one use, you will NEVER use another.
I’m really considering buying one of these Contigo travel mugs because the reviews are so good. I want a non-leaking mug that keeps my coffee hot and is comfortable to use. However, if so many people find it difficult to keep the lid free from gunk and odor, it is a concern. Why doesn’t the company address this problem and/or change the lid?
To clean the lid, I would suggest temporarily jamming open the mouth piece and then placing into the dishwasher. Otherwise, the sealed parts that are compressed against the lid are not exposed for cleaning.
These are the best travel mugs ever! The only downside is the cleaning part.
I had a black lid on mine and I guess I didn’t realize or see the build up. I washed it daily and then after about six months, I took a sip of coffee and ended up with a long, rubbery string in my mouth. Kinda gross.
So here is what I did. I took two tablespoons of dish washing machine detergent and poured it into the cup. I then took hot tap water and filled it up 3/4 full. I put the lid back on and shook the mug upside down for about 20 seconds. While still holding the mug upside down, I pushed the button to release a bit of the soapy water. Shook it again for about 10 seconds, and again released a bit of water. Then I placed the mug in an empty kitchen sink upside down. The water/soap was able to eat away at the crud.
In the morning, I shook the mug again for about 30 seconds, then opened it and looked inside (if you’ve had your mug for a few months and have only been hand washing it, you will see lots of crud floating in the water). I poured out the water, and filled it 3/4 of the way up with hot water. I put the lid on it again and shook upside down while periodically pressing the button. Once there was no more crud in the water, the mug was clean.
In addition to hand washing, I do this technique once a week to keep it shiny clean!
Jamming the lid open is a good call! I used a toothpick and that did the trick. Now, when soaking the mug or putting it in the dishwasher, I know I’m getting the sealed-off portion of the spout! Thanks guys!
To clean I:
1. Soak both the lid and mug in hot soapy water for 10 minutes or so. Wash the mug with a soft cloth and/or brush.
2. Rinse the lid well to get any currently-loose gunk out.
3. Take some of the soapy water and put it in the mug. Put on the lid.
4. Shake it vigorously! (Be careful not the press the button while you do!) When done, press the button to let some of the hot air out.
5. Open and check out all the black gunk in the water! Dump it into empty sink.
6. Repeat with soapy water 1–2 more times, then do 1–2 repeats only with hot water from the tap (no soap) until you aren’t seeing gunk.
7. Now refill one last time, fill halfway or so with hot water again, put on the lid, turn it upside down and press the button to let the water drain out the spout.
Should be good!
Fill the mug with very hot water, put lid back on tight, then shake mug and lid vigorously. Place it towards the sink with the lid facing down. Allow water to shoot through the hole by depressing the button. Do this several times. Avoid pointing it at any body parts, as this water will come out pressurized. Take the lid off and dump the excess water in sink. Repeat until the desired clean level is achieved. (Again, avoid pointing directly at body parts! Not responsible for anyone not following the safety of this cleaning method.)
I use my contigo once per day for latte. I clean it thoroughly after each use including soaking the mug full of hot soapy water upside down, shaking vigorously and shooting the water out the vents and drinking spout, baking soda, vinegar (balsamic), etc. That disgusting stuff still comes out in my mouth sometimes, and I was wondering what I was doing wrong as this simply could NOT be acceptable performance to contigo. Well, it appears that there is really no way to avoid this. If it wasn’t for the things the mugs do really well they would have gone in the trash a long time ago. I wonder when someone will get e.coli, or salmonella, or who knows what from these things. Just hope it’s not me!
This morning, I came up with an idea. It seemed to work. I used my bathroom WaterPik oral irrigator (basically a miniature power-wash) and blasted the crap out of the lid. Then I proceeded to put in 1/4 cup of hot water and did my morning “shake weight exercise” on it. Tonight, I’m going to boil the crap out of it!
These mugs are great, but they really need to come up with a design that can be disassembled for cleaning!
I love my mug. It’s the best mug I found on the market.
The only thing is, be careful, as it can leak!
I had placed my mug in the gym bag and something inside must have press the “ON” button, and my gym clothes got wet.
However after that mistake of mine done once, now I try to avoid placing the mug near something that might trigger the button and leak inside the bag.
Enjoyed all comments and suggestions, have actually tried most, except the vinegar and soda. The smell, just can’t do it to my coffee mug! My thinking is in the assembly line of putting the pieces together for the lid, there should be a way to disassemble! I don’t want to experiment on mine, though! Wouldn’t you know it, I never see one at a second hand store. So in the mean time I use pipe cleaners, and definitely will try the toothpick application.
I love the concept of these cups, but they are absolutely disgusting and should really be taken off the market until the manufacturer can devise a way to take them apart to clean properly. I have four of them and they are all going in the trash. What a shame, the company should replace these cups for anyone who has them.
I am a coffee addict. I drink it from morning until night in my Contigo cup. I didn’t realize how gross it was getting until one day I sucked back a large chunk. I thought that I was cleaning it quite diligently after that with hot water, high pressure and overnight soaking a couple of times per week. The coffee tasted fine. Last night, I dropped the cup and broke the plastic lid. I don’t think that I’ve been that grossed out for a long time. There was brown sludge everywhere. Visually, I would have to say it looked like it was covered in feces. Maybe it’s time to hear about these cups on the six o’clock news.
I have been using these cups for years and absolutely love them. I try to rinse it out as soon as I finish my coffee. When I put the lids in the dish washer, I hold the button down and shove it over the top of one of the retaining dividers – this keeps the drinking area open. I have never experienced the “gross factor.” A couple times a year, I soak them in soapy bleach water. I use a picker from a nut cracker set to very carefully pull the sealing ring out (it is not easy to get it back in) and the picker can also reach down into the tight spots to loosen any gunk.