How to clean stainless steel coffee mug or thermal mug? Recently, stainless steel mugs, also known as thermal mugs, have become a part of everyday life for many people.

However, there are some issues with stainless steel mugs. Over time, the stains may appear on their inside surfaces. In addition, the failure to clean them regularly can cause an unpleasant odor and spoil the coffee taste.

In our article, we’d like to give you some cleaning tips that will help you to prevent the above problems and to get rid of them, if they appear anyway.

For a better understanding of how to clean stainless steel coffee mugs, it will be useful to say a few words about what the stainless steel is, and why the stubborn coffee stains appear on your coffee mug.

Stainless steel and its peculiarities

Stainless steel is an alloy composed of iron, nickel, and chromium. It has not lost its popularity due to its resistance to the impact of high temperatures and corrosion.

The above features make stainless steel a very attractive material for manufacturing various types of kitchen utensils and appliances.

Causes of the stains appearing inside your coffee mug

One reason is that, over time, tannins contained in coffee deposit on the porous surfaces. In addition, coffee oil residues build up on the internal walls of the coffee mug.

The tap water added to prepare the coffee usually contains minerals that adhere to the coffee mug surfaces. Constant accumulation of these minerals forms stubborn stains over time.

Finally, if you neglect the regular cleaning of your mug, the coffee residues will inevitably cause the formation of stubborn coffee stains.

Regular cleaning of stainless steel coffee mugs

If you used to hand wash your stainless steel mug each time you drink coffee, it is a half-success of preventing residue buildup. For ordinary washing of a stainless steel mug, you can use hot water with mild dish soap. Keep in mind that an abrasive cleaning solution can leave stain spots on the mug’s surface.

If the mug opening is narrow you will need a soft bottle brush to clean all hard-to-reach surfaces.

If you use soapy water for washing, rinse the mug thoroughly to get all residues. Always wait for the complete drying of your mug.

Popular methods used to remove coffee stains manually

When preparing this article, I read plenty of publications with recommendations on cleaning stainless steel mugs posted on social nets to select the most common suggestions that coincide with my observations.

Baking soda slaked with vinegar

Baking soda and vinegar are multi-purpose items available in every kitchen. The reaction of baking soda with vinegar results in a bubbly mixture indicating the formation of carbonic acid, which, in turn, is a basic component of the majority of cleaning products. This bubbly mixture is exactly the matter that breaks down stubborn stains.

 

Algorithm of the stainless steel mug cleaning with baking soda and vinegar mixture

You will need only baking soda, distilled white vinegar, a soft bottle brush or sponge, and warm water to clean your stainless steel mug.

Gradually pour distilled white vinegar over the 1 or 2 tablespoons of baking soda placed into the coffee mug. Do it slowly to prevent the overflow of the bubbly mixture.

It is recommended to leave the mixture in the mug for an hour or more.

When you see the stubborn stains loosened and chipped, scrub the stain layer with the bottle brush and wash the mug with mild soapy water and a bottle brush to remove the remaining stains.

Rinse the stainless steel mug under a generous stream of water. It is essential because the vinegar residues can penetrate the inside walls and cause an unpleasant odor and deterioration of your mug quality.

 

Use of bleach or hydrogen peroxide

Another effective household item that can be used to clean coffee stains from your coffee mug is bleach. Bleach is a strong and effective cleaning solution that can dissolve the tough deposits on the inside surface of a stainless steel mug.

Mix 2 tablespoons of bleach with 1 cup of hot or warm water in the mug. Leave the obtained solution in the mug for at least 15 minutes.

Scrub the loosened stains with a soft brush. Generously rinse the stainless steel coffee mug with warm water to get the bleach residue off. Completely dry the mug.

Like bleach, hydrogen peroxide is available in every household and is as strong a cleaning agent as bleach is. when used to clean stainless steel coffee mugs. The process of its preparation and algorithm of cleaning is similar to those of bleach.

Both items, along with the cleaning effect, successfully eliminate the bad odor and contribute to the prevention of the coffee taste worsening.

 

Use of denture tablets

Along with their direct purpose, denture tablets can successfully clean stainless steel coffee mugs, thanks to their cleaning and bleaching properties.

Dissolving the denture tablet in hot water makes the mixture bubble. Leave the solution in the mug for a night to let it set.

Then scrub the chipped stains with a soft brush, and remove the remaining mass from the coffee mug. Finally, rinse the mug with a generous amount of hot water.

 

Typically, it is not recommended to clean stainless steel coffee thermoses that are not dishwasher safe in a dishwasher due to the probability of damage as a result of the impact of high pressure, very hot water, and strong dishwashing detergent used in the dishwasher.

However, some models are dishwasher-safe.

This allows to clean coffee stains off with minimum elbow grease. To achieve the best result, place the stainless steel coffee mug and its lid on the upper shelf of the dishwasher.

Final words

In this article, I’ve presented a far incomplete list of the possible ways to get rid of the stains. However, I hope that a few cleaning tips I’ve found for you will be helpful.

Frequently Asked Questions