By In the cold weather, it is essential to carry a thermos with a good warm drink, whether it be tea with honey, coffee, hot chocolate or any other brew that will leave the thermos quite dirty and with a peculiar smell especially if it has spent some time in wet weather and remains closed until you get it out of the backpack. There are no miracles but within the tips for cleaning, I provide some that are simple enough to perform for cleaning your thermos properly.
On the one hand, we have the cleaning factor of waste and on the other hand, the issue of odor. Let’s start by treating the dirt inside first.
To eliminate residues that may have remained inside, mix 1/4 cup with sodium bicarbonate in 1 lt. of hot water. Fill the thermos with the solution and leave to soak overnight. If necessary, use a squeegee to loosen the dirt, since the thin and long ones are not easy to clean for the reason that they cannot be cleaned inside easily. You need to rinse the thermos again before use.
If the dirt resists because you have given it a continuous use or it has spent too much time until you have been able to wash it, a more drastic remedy is to fill it with a spoonful of rice grains in crude and some boiling water, and you will have to stir it, so that the rice drags the particles adhered to the walls of the thermos. Now you have to repeat the operation several times to let the hot water act and soften it.
To make the bad odor disappear that usually proliferate especially when it remains closed and moist, you will have to mix wine vinegar, a little alcohol and if you can, some natural apple juice.
You have to vigorously beat the ingredients inside the thermos for a few minutes for avoiding the accumulation of bacteria and favoring the release of accumulated odors.
After practicing any of these methods, you the thermos dry with the open cap.
You must not forget that you must also check the plugs, as they are a focus of dirt, so they should be cleaned well too. But these are easier to do since you can reach all the corners without much problem. To clean them, you we can use the same product that you use for the dishes but then pass through the edges a paper napkin or a thin cloth to take away all the dirt and moisture that may still be there. With this cleaning procedure, your palate and your stomach will thank you.
