Many parents worry about the safety of re-using sippy cups because they are sometimes too difficult to clean because of all the crevices and parts they contain. As with any dish, using the right tools helps get the sippy cup clean. Kids Health says to look for sippy cups that are made from plastic and are not labeled with a recycling code of 7, since these often contain BPA. Many cups can be washed in the dishwasher on the top rack. If you choose to wash your sippy cups by hand, follow these simple steps to make sure they are clean.
How to Clean Sippy Cups
Step 1
Prepare your kitchen for washing sippy cups. Take everything out of the sink. Wipe the counter and place a clean towel or dish drainer on it.
Step 2
Make sure the sink is clean, plug it and fill it with warm water and a mild dish soap. Warm water helps the soap suds up faster and helps eliminate germs while washing the sippy cups. If you have a double sink, you can fill the other side with clean water for rinsing.
Step 3
Soak the sippy cut in the soapy water for a few minutes to loosen the grime and make it easier to scrub off if the sippy cup sat for a long time with milk or juice it it. Wash each cup one at a time. To get the hard to clean crevices you can use a nipple brush, toothbrush, paintbrush or a Q-tip and scrub those areas well with the soapy water.
Take apart the sippy cup if it has valves or straws. Wash all parts separately to make sure any germs or leftover beverages are washed out. Dip all parts of the cup in the clean water to rinse.
Step 4
Air-dry the sippy cups. Once each sippy cup is rinsed you can place it on the towel or dish drainer to drip dry. This cuts down on the possibility that bacteria will grow on places that don't get completely dry with a towel.
Step 5
Throw away sippy cups that are cracked or worn down because this can cause leaching of chemicals when heated and broken cups can cause injuries to a child.
Tips and Warnings
- Washing sippy cups right after use reduces the chance of finding a cup full of sour milk or juice, which can make a child sick if she drinks it. It also ensures that the cups are as clean as possible. You can also wash sippy cups in the dishwasher, but note which rack to wash them on. This is usually stated on the product or the package it came in.
- Never place boiling liquids in plastic sippy cups or boil them to sterilize because this can melt or break down the plastic. This can also cause chemicals in the plastic to leach into the beverage.
Things You'll Need
- Warm water
- Mild dish soap
- Brushes
- Toothbrush
- Q-tips
