Silke Jasso
Sorry, coffee lovers, but you are probably drinking a good amount of mold right now! Turns out the thing that we love the most, due to its ability to keep our drinks either really hot or really hot, could be making us sick without us knowing!
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Unfortunately, although most tumbler mugs, such as the Hydro Flask Coffee Mug, are dishwasher safe, they can’t properly clean the removable seals on the lids, trapping in heat that eventually turns into bacteria. Veronica Lucas took to Facebook to post her experience with her travel mug, showing how sometimes these lids can become “breeding grounds” for bacteria and mold if they aren’t thoroughly cleaned and left to dry before using.
The North Carolina mom posted on Facebook a picture of her YETI travel mug lid, discovering an alarming amount of mold hidden beneath the removable seal. The alarming photos showed black substance all around the rim, inside the plastic. This can be considered deadly, due to the allergic reactions and respiratory problems mold can cause.
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According to the USDA, mold can produce ‘mycotoxins, which are poisonous substances that can make you sick. So what can we do to make sure we don’t have any mold? Well, experts recommend hand-washing any and all areas that your dishwasher can’t reach, to keep our beloved stainless steel travel mug mold free. You should disassemble the tumbler and scrub it by hand or a cleaning brush with hot soapy water to kill the bacteria.
Still not convinced that there is mold? Apparently, this is actually a common problem among travel mugs. In October 2018, a sports chiropractor based in Santa Maria California posted a video on Youtube titled “A Yeti Style Cup Almost Killed My Patient”. Dr. Beau Pierce explained how one of his patients mentioned how he was struggling to beat a cold for a few weeks. After a series of question, Dr. Pierce noticed his patients tumbler sitting on the counter, and when he looked at the lid, he discovered mold hidden underneath.
Although it might be a bit extreme to say the “Tumblr was killing his patient” the connection between mold and an ongoing sickness is very likely. Because well, consuming mold isn’t good for your health, duh. YETI did release a statement in regards to the mold after numerous posts online begged for a solution quick solution.
The company released a statement staying they take their customers safety seriously and encourage customers to follow all product usage including, proper cleaning of Rambler lids. Yeti recommends removing the rubber lid gasket to prevent any possible build up in the lid before throwing it in the dishwasher, then putting it in the silverware basket. So, there we go, the solution has been in front of our face all this time.
Now, we are not telling you to absolutely get rid of all your tumblers all together. This is just a friendly neighbor to neighbor reminder to always deep clean your tumblers to avoid any sickness. These mugs are actually pretty great and last for quite a bit of time, so personally, I’d recommend them any day of the year. Looking to buy a new one? Check out some of my personal favorite models on Amazon. Worth every penny, indeed. Happy scrubbing!
This post was originally published on January 29, 2019.
