How to Clean Sippy Cup Valves

Sippy cups---as the mother of a preschooler I both love and hate these essential items. Sippy cups are great for keeping liquids where they should be and keeping mom from having to scrub many floors. Cleaning the darn things, especially the small sippy cup valve located within just about all brands, can be impossible. Mold, crusted milk or formula, and every other nasty type of dirt seems to find its way impossibly stuck to all sippy cup valves. So how do you keep sippy cup valves clean? Here are some tricks of the trade to help you continue loving these toddler staple items and get your sippy cup valves clean.

Skip the Dishwasher. First of all, always remove the sippy cup valve before washing and never send the valves through the dishwasher. While the dishwasher may sanitize the valves well, it won't get in all those nooks and crannies, leaving mold to continue growing. Additionally, the heat and pressure of the dishwasher can sometimes warp sippy cup valves making them less effective at their spill-proof job.

Clean Immediately. An easy way to help your cause when keeping sippy cup valves clean is to wash sippy cups immediately after use. If your child is going to continue drinking later in the day, place the cup in the refrigerator. There is nothing worse than finding curdled milk or molded juice after your little angel hid his sippy cup in the drawer on the back of his play car. Try to keep in mind when you gave a sippy cup to your child and wash it immediately after use as often as possible.

Find a Good Tool. The next key to cleaning sippy cup valves is to find an appropriate tool that will really get into those tiny crevasses. The small brushes that often come on the bottom of bottle brushes are typically too large to get into the small spaces of a sippy cup valve. Instead, considering buying some dental brushes. These tiny brushes are used like dental floss and can found in the dental aisle in most grocery and discount stores. The tiny size and brushing power are both great for cleaning sippy cup valves. Don't want to buy anything extra? Toothpicks and cotton swabs are also useful for getting into those tiny spaces. Or trying cleaning and sanitizing a mascara wand to use for the same task.

Soak Before Cleaning. A good soak in hot, soapy water is essential for getting all of the gunk off of sippy cup valves. Soak the sippy cup valves for at least 10 minutes before you even try to start scrubbing. If you are really concerned about the cleanliness of the valves, you can use a microwave steamer or boil them, however just like using the dishwasher, many sippy cup valves will warp if heated to a high temperature, and this reduces their effectiveness. Some manufacturers (check your sippy cup packaging) specifically say not to boil their product.

Sippy cup valves can be one of the big frustrations of parenting a toddler or preschooler! A few tips, some great tools, good timing, and a little elbow grease is all you to help keep your sippy cup valves clean, and this parenting frustration at bay.