Friday afternoon, school bag time… and there it is: the infamous forgotten lunchbox. 😅 You open it with one eye squeezed shut – what will you find? A half-eaten sandwich that has since become a science experiment? A banana peel that has started living its own life? As a mother, I’ve seen (and smelled) it all. But don’t panic! Where there’s a will, there’s a way – even for caked-on peanut butter in the corner of the lunchbox or musty-smelling drinking cups. In this blog, I’ll take you through the world of cleaning lunchboxes and drinking bottles. Light-hearted, full of self-deprecation and above all: effective. So you can open your child’s lunchbox every day without blushing with embarrassment.
Daily routine: rinse immediately after use
The golden rule for keeping a lunchbox and drinking bottle clean is actually very simple: do it immediately. Sounds logical, but after a long day your child may well leave that lunchbox dangling in their backpack (“Oh yes, Mum, it’s still in there…”). Try to teach them to put the lunchbox and cup on the kitchen counter as soon as they get home from school. Rinse them straight away. Why? Food residue that has only been in the box for a short time washes away easily with a little water. But if you let that crust of cheese or final sip of chocolate milk dry until the next morning, you have a problem. Bacteria love it, and unpleasant smells start to develop.
So: empty the lunchbox (including those hidden compartments – yes, you, little raisin box at the bottom!), throw away leftovers or – even better – compost them. Then give everything a quick rinse. Run some hot water through it, optionally with a drop of washing-up liquid. Fill the drinking bottle halfway with warm water, put the lid on, shake it and rinse it out. This literally takes 30 seconds and saves you so much scrubbing later. Make it a habit, for example as part of the after-school routine: hang up coat, take lunchbox to the kitchen, wash hands. This also teaches little ones responsibility (a nice bonus!).
Tip: Send a clean cup every day. If you have a few favourite drinking bottles in rotation, you can rinse and dry the used one in the evening while sending a different one the next day. That way, bacteria don’t get the chance to build up in the same bottle day after day.
Weekly cleaning: soapy water and scrubbing
Alongside the quick daily rinse, a thorough weekly clean is ideal. Choose a moment – Sunday evening, for example – to give all the lunchboxes and bottles used during the week a proper clean. Fill the sink or a washing-up bowl with hot water and a splash of washing-up liquid (or a mild cleaning product). Take everything apart: with drinking bottles, the lids, straws, silicone rings and other parts can often be removed. Put everything in the soapy water and leave it to soak for a few minutes. This loosens baked-on residue and the hot water already kills some bacteria.
Next, grab a bottle brush for the drinking cups. Clean thoroughly around the edges and into the corners. Many children’s cup straws have twists and turns where dirt hides; use a pipe cleaner or special narrow brush to clean them. For the lunchbox, use a soft sponge or washing-up brush. The Scrub Daddy sponge is ideal here: it becomes soft in warm water and cleans without scratching, while still removing food residue quickly. And it has such a cheerful little face – it makes cleaning just a bit more fun, for you or the little helper who might want to join in.
Don’t forget to clean the edges of the lids and the sealing rings (if they are inside the lid) thoroughly. Invisible dirt and moisture often collect there, which can later start to mould. After scrubbing, rinse everything very well with clean, hot water. You don’t want to leave behind a soapy taste. Let everything drain on a clean tea towel or dry it with one.
After a weekly clean like this, your lunch essentials are spic & span. An added benefit: if you have several lunchboxes and cups, you can prepare a supply for the week at the same time. It saves time on Monday morning when you know all the containers are fresh and ready in the cupboard.
Removing stubborn smells and stains
You know the kind? That plastic tomato-sauce stain that just refuses to leave the lunchbox. Or a drinking cup that still smells sour of old squash despite being cleaned. Time to open the bag of tricks! Here are some mum hacks for tackling difficult stains and smells:
- Baking soda for smells: Put a tablespoon of baking soda in the (clean, empty) lunchbox or bottle, add warm water, stir or shake briefly and leave the mixture overnight. Baking soda neutralises smells. Rinse it out the next day and the musty odour will be gone or at least greatly reduced.
- Vinegar for limescale: For milk residue or limescale in drinking cups (especially in water bottles, where you can see that ring of limescale at the bottom): fill the bottle with equal parts warm water and white vinegar. Leave it for an hour. The vinegar dissolves the residue. Rinse thoroughly afterwards, because vinegar-flavoured water isn’t particularly tasty. 😉
- The Pink Stuff for little works of art: Has your little artist decorated their lunchbox with a pen or marker? Or is there a sticker that has left behind half its adhesive? Take a cloth with a little The Pink Stuff cleaning paste and gently rub the ink stain or adhesive residue. This paste is mild but effective: ink, pencil and even marker often come off remarkably well without damaging the plastic (test it on a small area first, just to be safe). Then rinse thoroughly with water so no residue remains in the container.
- Magic eraser sponges: Another useful tool for stubborn stains is the Scrub Daddy Wondersponge (Eraser Daddy). It is a kind of white “eraser” sponge that wipes away stains without additional cleaning product. Ideal for discoloured walls of a drinking cup, for example, or stubborn food stains in corners that are difficult to reach.
- Lemon fresh: Need a natural air freshener? Cut a slice of lemon and place it in the cleaned, empty drinking bottle or lunchbox for a few hours. Lemon has disinfecting properties and replaces unpleasant smells with a fresh aroma. Do rinse everything well afterwards, otherwise the next drink of squash may taste like lemonade (although maybe that wouldn’t be so bad!).
- Sunlight bleaches: Have you got a transparent plastic cup that has become dull or developed an orange film from carrots? Put it in the sun on the windowsill for a day (open, so UV light can reach the inside too). The sun naturally bleaches it and kills bacteria. Mother Nature as a cleaning assistant!
Incidentally, a bad smell in a drinking cup can sometimes be a sign that something is still stuck somewhere, for example in the lid. So always check: can all the parts be taken apart? Unscrew any valves or rubber rings and clean them separately. Parts you cannot reach can be boiled for 10 minutes in a pan of water (if the material allows it) – think silicone straws or lids from leak-proof cups. This removes the germs that cause smells.
10 sustainable tips: keep lunchboxes and drinking bottles clean and green
We want to give our kids a clean lunchbox, but also leave behind a clean planet. So how do we do this in a sustainable way? Here are 10 tips for keeping lunchboxes and drinking bottles clean while caring for the environment:
- Choose quality: Invest in a sturdy BPA-free lunchbox and an RVS or high-quality plastic drinking bottle. They last longer, absorb less odour and discolouration, and need replacing less often (less waste!).
- Use environmentally friendly washing-up products: For example, washing-up liquid or a spray with natural ingredients. Did you know there is a The Pink Stuff washing-up spray? You can easily spray it onto baked-on residue and rinse it off later – it is gentle on the environment and means you have to scrub less.
- No disposable items: Use reusable brushes and sponges. A good Scrub Daddy sponge lasts a long time and can be used for all kinds of cleaning jobs. Disposable scouring sponges often end up in the bin after just one dirty lunchbox – such a waste.
- Air-dry naturally: Leave the open lunchbox and bottle to air-dry on the draining rack after washing. It saves paper towels. In a hurry? Use a clean tea towel (and hang it up to dry afterwards for the next round instead of putting it straight in the wash).
- Use water sparingly: Wash all the lunchboxes and cups together in one bowl of soapy water instead of rinsing them separately under the tap. Fill the sink and wash them all at once – this saves water and energy, especially when using warm water.
- Refill and reuse: Some cleaning products are available as refills. For example, concentrated all-purpose cleaner from Fabulosa (which you can also use for other cleaning jobs). You can keep reusing the same spray bottle by filling it with water and adding a splash of concentrate – less plastic waste.
- No bleach needed: Bleach is effective but quite harsh and not eco-friendly. Instead of bleaching a white bottle, leave it in the sun for a day or use that magic eraser sponge. And for smells, vinegar is an excellent replacement for chemical odour removers.
- Leak-proof lunch? Less cleaning! Okay, this is more about prevention: make sure containers and bottles seal properly. If soup or juice doesn’t leak into the bag, you won’t have to wash the backpack and the outside of the lunchbox will stay clean. Less cleaning means less product and water use.
- Upcycle old containers: Has a lunchbox become too scratched and grubby for food after years of use? Use it for something else around the house instead of throwing it away. Store craft supplies in it or use it as a storage box for crayons, Lego, etc. That way, it gets a second life.
- Teach kids good habits: The most sustainable option of all is to teach children from an early age to keep their belongings clean (for example, rinsing them briefly themselves or at least not leaving them for days with food residue inside). Their belongings will last longer, and fewer intensive cleaning sessions mean buying less cleaning product and replacing less plastic.
With these tips, you’ll not only keep your children’s belongings clean, but also consciously reduce waste and clean in a more environmentally friendly way. A win for everyone!
FAQ – Cleaning lunchboxes and drinking bottles
Q: Can the lunchbox and drinking bottle go in the dishwasher?
A: Often, yes, but check the manufacturer’s instructions. Many BPA-free plastics can go in the top rack of the dishwasher on a low-temperature setting. However, printed designs (fun Frozen or Paw Patrol pictures) may fade in the dishwasher. Lids with rubber rings are also best washed by hand; the high heat can dry them out or deform them. My approach: the basic everyday ones can go in our dishwasher, but I wash the pretty printed ones and complicated lids by hand – that way they stay attractive and intact for longer.
Q: How do I remove mould from a drinking bottle or straw?
A: Oh dear, if you see black spots in a spout or straw, mould has started growing because moisture was left behind. First of all, take everything apart. Soak the parts in hot water with a splash of vinegar or a sterilising tablet (the kind also used for baby bottles). Then use a small brush or pipe cleaner to scrub away all the mould physically. Rinse very thoroughly. If you are unsure whether you can reach everything (some leak-proof straws really are a maze), you can also leave cleaning vinegar containing lactic acid in it for a few hours; this kills mould. But if the problem persists or you don’t trust it, replace that part. Prevent it by cleaning every day and allowing bottles to dry completely. Store them with the lid off so air can circulate.
Q: My plastic lunchbox still smells of tomato sauce no matter what I do. Any tips?
A: Tomato is notorious; it can turn plastic orange and leave behind a smell. Have you tried baking soda and vinegar? That often works well. Another trick: fill the container with crumpled newspaper and close the lid, then leave it overnight. Newspaper absorbs smells (just as it can deodorise smelly shoes). Or put the container in the freezer overnight – cold neutralises some odour molecules. As a last resort, rub a little (sunflower) oil over the affected areas, leave it for a while and then wash it off; oil can loosen the coloured tomato molecules from the plastic. Make sure to degrease it thoroughly afterwards with warm soapy water. Is the smell and colour still really persistent and bothering you? Then the container may simply be “well used”. See tip 9 above: give it another purpose and treat yourself to a new one, and try to clean it immediately after use from now on to prevent it happening again.
Q: How do I get my toddler’s drinking cups in their leak-proof cup really clean?
A: Leak-proof cups – familiar territory! Remove all the loose parts: there is often a silicone membrane or valve in the lid. You can usually pop it out. It absolutely must be cleaned, because milk and juice collect there. Use a thin brush. You can also boil this type of sippy cup regularly: 5 minutes in a pan of boiling water (again, check that the plastic can handle it – most can, just like baby bottles). Many brands also sell individual replacement parts; sometimes it is more sustainable to replace only the worn straw instead of buying a whole new cup. And alternate between them: keep two cups in use so you can always let them dry completely.
Q: My teenager routinely forgets to clean their sports bottle, and now it has a brown residue inside. What should I do?
A: Teenagers and their sports bottles – a notorious combination. Brown residue often comes from isotonic sports drinks or simply tea or coffee if they take that with them. Fill the bottle with warm water and a Steradent tablet (those fizzy denture-cleaning tablets, yes, really!). Leave it overnight; they are designed to loosen brown tannin residue. Rinse thoroughly. No Steradent at home? Use a generous spoonful of baking soda and boiling water, and leave it until it has cooled. Then shake it well and rinse it out. If necessary, invest in an RVS bottle – it is less prone to collecting residue and easier to clean thoroughly (and can often even go in the dishwasher). And talk to your teenager about hygiene: perhaps the thought of bacteria in their drink will motivate them to rinse it after use from now on... Perhaps. 😅
From “Ew, what is that in the lunchbox?!” to “Ah, lovely and clean and fresh” – with a little effort and our tips, it really is manageable. By paying a little attention every day and cleaning thoroughly once a week, you can prevent unpleasant surprises in the lunchbox. And believe me, your child can taste the difference: a sandwich from a fresh lunchbox simply tastes better (okay, it’s all in their head, but still!). Besides, it feels good as a mum (or dad) to know that your child is drinking from a clean cup. Hopefully you’ve found these light-hearted cleaning tips useful and can put them into practice at home. Good luck – you’ve got this!
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