How To Clean A Coffee Thermos (4 Ways To Remove Stains And Smell)

HOW TO CLEAN A COFFEE THERMOS (4 METHODS TO REMOVE STAINS)

With these tips on how to clean a thermos, your coffee will taste freshly brewed all day!

A great coffee thermos is durable, portable, and keeps your favorite drink at the optimal temperature. There’s only one drawback. The shape and material can be a real hassle to clean – until now!

I’ve got four tried-and-tested methods for you to remove stubborn coffee stains and unwanted smells from your thermos.

What Is The Best Way To Clean The Inside Of A Thermos?

You’re in luck! There are a few quick and easy ways to clean a coffee thermos, and you don’t need to rely on any harsh chemicals. Here are four methods I’ve used successfully to make the inside of my thermos shiny like new.

But if there’s just too much grime and dirt, perhaps it’s time to get a new coffee thermos. Check out our list of the best coffee thermoses and the top travel mugs for coffee mugs.

Method 1: The Vinegar And Baking Soda Method

What You Need:

• ½ cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 tbsp baking soda
• Hot water

Steps:

1. Add the vinegar to your thermos. Then shake the baking soda over the vinegar so the chemical reaction doesn’t happen too fast. The baking soda and vinegar mixture foams up, so do this over a sink to avoid spills.
2. Wait for the fizz to subside. Then fill the thermos to the brim with hot water, and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Don’t put the lid back on because the vinegar and baking soda mix is very reactive (1). 
3. Afterward, use a bottle brush to scrub the inside of the thermos.
4. Empty the contents, then rinse the thermos with hot water. Keep rinsing until there is no detectable vinegar smell. You can wipe the thermos with a cleaning cloth but still leave it to dry naturally.

Method 2: The Denture Tablets Method

What You Need:

• 1 or 2 denture tablets
• Boiling water

Steps:

1. Fill your thermos with boiling water and let it soak for 10 minutes to loosen any dirt.
2. Pour out half the water, then add 1 or 2 denture tablets. Keep the thermos inside the sink because the ingredients cause a chemical reaction (2).
3. To clean the thermos, let it sit for about 30 minutes with the lid off. Once the time is up, scrub the inside with a bottle brush and then empty it.
4. Rinse the thermos a few times to remove all the denture cleaner leftovers. Let it dry right-side up – without the lid, of course.

Method 3: The Dishwasher Powder Method

What You Need:

• 1 tbsp of dishwasher powder – It’s important to use powder (not liquid) for its abrasive properties.
• Hot water

Steps:

1. Put the dishwasher powder into your thermos and pour some hot water over it, enough to fill it about halfway. This time, you can close the thermos and shake it briefly.
2. After shaking, fill the thermos to the brim and let it sit overnight in the sink with the lid off – or for at least a few hours.
3. Dump out about half the liquid, and give the inside a scrub using a bottle brush.
4. Empty the thermos, rinse it a few times, and let it air dry.

Method 4: The Salt And Ice Method

What You Need:

• Ice, crushed or cubed
• 2 – 3 tbsp of large-grain salt, like sea salt or Kosher salt

Steps:

1. Fill the thermos with crushed ice up to a quarter of the volume.
2. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of salt over the ice, depending on the size of your thermos. Do this as fast as possible to avoid melting.
3. Tightly secure the lid and shake the thermos vigorously. The rubbing of ice and salt exfoliates the inside of your thermos without causing any damage (3).
4. When you finish, empty the thermos and rinse it thoroughly to remove any residual salt and ice. Leave it to dry naturally with the lid off.

Final Thoughts

Now you’re armed with four easy and practical methods to make your coffee thermos as good as new. Of course, as is usually the case, prevention is better than a cure. Keep your thermos clean by rinsing it with warm water as soon as possible after finishing your beverage. This helps avoid the build-up of coffee residue that will be much harder to remove.

FAQs

How do you get coffee stains out of stainless steel?

You can remove coffee stains from stainless steel using any of the methods above. If those don’t work, you can also try a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. Just be sure to wash the stainless steel thermos or mug afterward with dish soap and water to remove any traces of hydrogen peroxide before drinking.

How do you clean the inside of a thermal coffee carafe?

You can clean the inside of a thermal coffee carafe just like a thermos, using any of the methods above. After all, a thermal carafe is just a coffee thermos with a different shape.

How do you get the smell out of a stainless steel thermos?

The foul smell from a stainless steel thermos is best removed with baking soda and water. Add a single teaspoon of baking soda into your thermos, fill it with lukewarm water, and swish it gently to dissolve. Let it sit for an hour before rinsing.

What is an unlikely trick to remove coffee stains?

Denture tablets are an unlikely trick to remove coffee or tea stains – and for many other cleaning uses. Because their goal is to whiten dentures, they contain many common and safe household cleaners.

References

1. What Happens When You Mix Vinegar and Baking Soda? (n.d.). Retrieved July 3, 2019, from https://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/what-happens-when-you-mix-vinegar-and-baking-soda
2. Ketchum, D. (2019, January 10). Ingredients in Denture Cleaners. Retrieved July 3, 2019, from https://healthfully.com/121826-ingredients-denture-cleaners.html
3. Rochester A. (2017, July 16). Amazing Scientific Reasons Why Table Salt Is Good for Cleaning & More! Retrieved July 3, 2019, from https://chemistrycachet.com/reasons-why-table-salt-is-good-for-cleaning/