In case your bottle or mug comes with silicone gaskets or seals — like those on our favourite journey mug, the Zojirushi Stainless Metal Mug — it’s possible you’ll discover that over time they tackle the smells of no matter you drink.
To take away the stink out of your gaskets, many specialists advocate burying them in recent baking soda for 2 days. Marguerite Preston, our senior kitchen editor, has a greater (and faster) resolution: Bake the silicone items within the oven. Right here’s her methodology, tailored from a thread she noticed on Reddit:
Preheat your oven to 250 levels Fahrenheit. Most silicone cookware is oven-safe as much as 500 levels Fahrenheit or extra. However as a result of travel-mug gaskets don’t often include warmth limits, Marguerite stated she errs on the facet of warning. Make it possible for no matter you’re heating is 100% silicone. Don’t put plastic or rubber in your oven.
Whereas the oven is heating, rigorously wash your silicone gaskets with dish cleaning soap and sizzling water. Then place the gaskets within the oven on a baking sheet. Set a timer for 20 minutes.
Pull the gaskets out of the oven each 10 minutes or so and thoroughly take a whiff. After about 40 minutes, a lot of the stink needs to be gone.
In case you do discover a lightweight lingering espresso scent, it is perhaps because of residual espresso oils nonetheless clinging to the silicone. Marguerite stated she provides the gaskets an additional fast scrub to take away that residue, and the scent disappears nearly completely.
This text was edited by Connor Grossman and Alejandra Matos.
