The Proper Care and Use of Our Drinkware

Our drinkware is good quality and by taking care of them, you can expect years of dependable service. Please follow our care and use instructions to get the most out of your new product.

Do NOT Put in the Dishwasher

In general, we do not recommend you put any of our drinkware in the dishwasher. Yes some of our manufacturers say it is ok. Yes some of our competitors say it is safe to do so. We do not recommend it for several reasons. First, the acrylic/plastic products are not meant to be super heated. When you put them in the dishwasher the heat can melt some of the thinner plastics. The thicker ones you will not see an immediate impact. However, the high heat will take it’s toll on your product. Over time the plastic/acrylic will start to break down. And it breaks down into whatever you are drinking. If you wash it by hand the acrylic/plastic will keep its integrity and safety. Second, the rubber gaskets that seal the lids of your drinkware will break down fairly quickly. They crack under the high heat of the dishwasher and will start to leak. Third, the glue that holds your drinkware together- whether acrylic/plastic or stainless will break down under the high heat of the dishwasher. Then your liners start to slide- sometimes even coming out. Lastly, abrasive soaps in dishwashers can scratch the surface of both your stainless steel and acrylic/plastic. The process we use to put your logo onto your drinkware should withstand this- but what good does it do if the drinkware no longer works?

We recommend hand washing for the best result. Simply wash your bottle with warm soapy water. First pour out any leftover liquid, then add a few drops of dishwashing soap and some warm water, screw on the top, and shake for a few minutes. I suggest you use a bottle brush like a baby bottle cleaner so you can scrub deep inside your bottle, especially if it has a narrow mouth. Thoroughly clean the cap and straw as well and allow to air-dry overnight. Make sure you clean under any rubber gaskets as well. Most come off easily to allow you to clean them thoroughly as well as clean under them. I use a small baby bottle brush to clean mine. Scrub away coffee stains with a nonabrasive scrubbing pad. If you have a tough stain, sprinkle baking soda on the pad and then scrub. If you have a stain that is stubborn, rinse out the mug, fill it with distilled white vinegar, set it aside to soak overnight and try scrubbing again.
If you clean your drinkware daily this should keep it clean.

Let’s say you forget your water bottle/travel mug in the car for a few days and find a smelly surprise. For stainless you can try this: Pour 2 tablespoons of baking soda into the mug, then add a generous amount of whatever vinegar you have on hand. The mixture bubbles up as you add the vinegar to the baking soda, so leave enough room in the mug to allow for shaking. Seal the mug tightly with the lid so the vinegar and baking soda don’t leak out. Shake the mug well at least a few times to get the inside surface and bottom of the lid clean. Scrub the mug with a soft bottle brush to break-up any grime left behind by coffee, if necessary. Don’t forget to clean under and around the rubber seal if it has one. Open the stainless steel mug, and rinse it thoroughly with warm water to remove the baking soda and vinegar. Once the mug is clean, let it air dry in a well-ventilated area on a drying rack or clean towel.

For our plastic and acrylic drinkware you can use vinegar. This all-natural cleaner is great for killing certain germs and bacteria, but it isn’t effective at killing everything such as the flu virus. After washing with soapy water, rinse well, and fill your bottle about one fifth of the way with white vinegar. Fill the rest with water, let it stand overnight, and in the morning thoroughly rinse it out using the above method with soapy water. Unless you like the taste of vinegar in your water…

If that doesn’t work you can use water bottle cleansing tablets: Many companies make this type of product, including Camelbak ($12 for eight), or you can also get away with using effervescent denture cleaning tablets such as Efferdent. Just fill your bottle with water, drop the tablet in, and allow to dissolve and sit for 15 to 30 minutes (depending on the product’s directions). Then rinse and enjoy your clean bottle.

DO NOT MICROWAVE ANY OF OUR PRODUCTS!!!

If putting in the dishwasher because plastics/acrylics should not be super heated then putting them in the microwave is an even worse idea. Again, the thinner walls will melt or lose their shape. The thicker ones will start to break down and lose their integrity. They will begin to crack and will break more easily. And obviously you cannot put stainless steel into the microwave because it is metal. You will catch your microwave on fire. If you need to reheat whateve you have put into your drinkware, first pour it into a microwave safe container, then heat it and put it back into your drinkware. Our travel mugs keep your drink warm for hours- so hopefully you find time to drink it in that time frame anyway. To get the maximum efficiency from our travel mugs preheat them. Heat water as hot as you can get it then pour it into your travel mug. Put the lid on and wait a minute or two. Then dump out the hot water and put your hot beverage into the travel mug.

You can do the same with your water bottles. Prechill them with cold water, then add your beverage. Do not put our drinkware into the freezer unless instructed to do so. Especially with liquid in them. The liquid will expand and crack your drinkware. For our freezer items, put them in the freezer upside down. This just prevents them from absorbing the smells of your freezer. Do not freeze the lids or straws of any of our items.

Do not drop your drinkware. It will withstand a drop or two from a reasonable distance (say your desk?) But probably not from the roof of your car. You can crack the seams, dent stainless rims or cause the liners to pop out. Our Tritan water bottles can take a bit more beating. It is impact and shatter resistant and great for hikers, campers and teams. I still would try not to drop it off a cliff or anything.

Do not overtighten the lids. Hand tight is good. Overtightening can cause the plastic in the lid to crack compromising your seal. Chewing on the lids will do the same thing.

With The Proper Care and Use of Our Drinkware you can ensure they last for years. With your brand and logo on them we want to make sure your customers, employees and team stay happy and satisfied.