Joey and I introduced Audrey and Antonino to sippy cups when
they turned a year old. It took them a while before they found THE cup. They
tried everything from soft spouts to hard spouts to those flat lid types where
liquid comes out around the sides of the cup when you suck on the edge of the
valve. Still no luck.
Then, we made them try straw sippy cups. They LOVED them.
Joey and I... not so much. Why? Because they turned out to be the most
difficult to clean. We also read various product reviews which said that some
sippy cups have internal components where fluids get trapped, causing mold to
grow. What's worse is that in some cups, those components cannot be
disassembled. Some parents even sawed through the lids of their kids' cups and
found mold. Yikes!
Of course, we had no choice but to let the twins use straw
sippy cups because it was the only way we could get them to drink. That is,
aside from using their bottles. We just follow certain steps to make sure that
the cups are safe to use.
Here are our tried and tested tips for keeping the twins' sippy cups clean:
Choose a sippy cup that can be completely disassembled. We
like these cups from Nuby and these ones from Munchkin which can be fully disassembled (with a
bit of force):
Nuby Flip-It Easy Grip Straw Cup. This cup has 4 straw
parts: flip-top straw spout, rubber stopper, valve and straw.
Munchkin Click Lock Flip Straw Cup. This cup has a
detachable flip top and 2 straw parts: valve and straw.
We always fully disassemble the cups for cleaning because
moisture collects in the tight spots between the parts making them the perfect
breeding ground for mold to grow.
Pre-rinse all parts especially the straw and valve. This is
what we do if we can't wash the cups right away because it reduces food residue
that mold feeds on.
Use a tiny brush / straw brush. Tiny brushes allow us to
scrub all the small openings of valves and straws. This helps us get rid of
even the tiniest food particles because we can reach every nook and cranny of
the cup.
Wash thoroughly. We use a mild utensil cleanser that's made
of non-toxic ingredients to scrub all cup parts. We also have a dedicated
sponge, bottle brush, and straw brush to prevent cross-contamination.
Sterilize. The heat from Sterilizing kills mold and
bacteria.
Make sure all parts are dry before assembly. This is very
important because if you put the cup back together before the parts dry,
moisture can be trapped in the joints of its components which will facilitate
mold growth. We store the twins' sippy cups disassembled to ensure that all
parts are thoroughly dry before assembly.
Have you ever found mold in your child's sippy cups? Do you
have more tips on how to make sure your little one's sippy cups are mold-free?
I'd love to hear them in the comments below.
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