Is It Safe To Bleach Coffee Mugs?

Stains in coffee mugs are a common occurrence. Those brown lines in your cup might be off-putting to look at, and you might have done everything you can think of to get it clean. Well, there is one thing that most households have that will work to clean your coffee mug, and that is bleach. So, you might be wondering if it is safe to bleach coffee mugs?

Bleaching a coffee mug is entirely safe and is a very effective way of getting rid of stains in coffee mugs. Although it is safe to bleach coffee mugs, you should never forget to wash them properly to get all the bleach out so that you don’t end up drinking some of it by accident.

There are a few different methods that you can use to get rid of the stains on your coffee mug. These methods include using everyday household items such as baking soda and vinegar. These methods are safer to use than bleach, but are they as effective as bleach?

Using Bleach To Clean Your Coffee Mugs

Using bleach to clean your coffee mugs is a widespread practice. Since bleach is also an excellent disinfectant, it will not only clean your coffee mugs of the stains on them, but it will also get rid of many impurities like bacteria, fungi, and viruses that are found on them.

When using bleach to clean your coffee mugs, there are a few things that you should be aware of like,

What is the right amount of bleach to use, and how much should you dilute it?

How long must it rest for the bleach to work effectively?
How often can you wash mugs with bleach before it becomes a problem?
How often should you wash your mugs after cleaning them with bleach?

What Is The Right Amount Of Bleach?

The amount of bleach you use to clean your coffee mugs depends on the number of coffee mugs you need to clean.

If you have a lot of coffee mugs that you need to clean, it would be best to mix the bleach in a 10 to 1 ratio with hot water. The ratio is ten parts hot water to 1 part bleach. It would be best to mix this solution in a sink or even in a basin, where there is enough space for all the coffee mugs you need to wash.

If you only have a few coffee mugs you need to clean, you can make the mixture inside of the cups. To create the right mix, you will need to place about half of a tablespoon of bleach in your mugs and swirl the bleach so that it covers all the stains in the cup. Next, you must fill the cup with hot water and let it rest for about 10 to 15 minutes.

How Long Must It Rest For The Bleach To Work Effectively?

Depending on the dilution you used to clean your coffee mugs, the mugs will have to rest for different periods.

If you have a lot of cups you need to wash, and you use the ten parts hot water to 1 part bleach ratio, your mugs will need to rest for about 5-10 minutes. Depending on how bad your coffee mugs have been stained, it could take even longer for them to be clean, in which case you should leave them in the solution for about 20 minutes.

If you only have a few mugs that you need to wash and use the ½ tablespoon method, the mixture will need to stand in the cup for about 10-15 minutes.

How Many Times Can You Wash Coffee Mugs With Bleach?

When deciding if you should wash your coffee mugs with bleach, you might wonder if you could clean them multiple times with bleach and if it could cause any problems to your cups if you wash them too often.

There is not a limited number of times that you can wash your coffee mugs with bleach. For instance, most restaurants use bleach to disinfect their dishware, not only their coffee mugs, and most restaurants get a lot of customers every day. That means that they would need to wash their dishware multiple times a day with a bleach solution or with something similar to bleach.

How Many Times Should You Wash Your Mug After Bleaching?

After you have bleached your coffee mugs to get rid of the stains, you should never forget to wash the mugs thoroughly to remove any traces of the bleach solution that may be in the mug.

The recommended number of times you need to wash or rinse your coffee mugs after bleaching them is about 3-4 times. This is only a precautionary measure to ensure that there are no bleach solutions left inside the cups.

It is best to wash your coffee mugs at least two times with dishwashing liquid to eliminate the bleach’s chemical traces. After cleaning the cups with dishwashing liquid, you must rinse them at least two more times with regular water.

Using Common Household Items To Clean Mugs

There are also a few ways of cleaning your coffee mugs without using bleach to remove the stains. These include baking soda or vinegar to clean your coffee mugs.

Cleaning Mugs Using Baking Soda

Baking soda is a widespread household item, and many people have it in their houses. Using baking soda could be very effective but might take longer than using bleach.

To use baking soda to clean your mugs, you need to create a paste using baking soda and a little bit of hot water. Apply the paste to the stained areas and let the mug rest for about 10 minutes. Thoroughly scrub the mug with a sponge and warm soapy water where the paste is applied, and then rinse the cup. If needed, repeat it until the stains have gone away.

Using Vinegar To Clean Coffee Mugs

Vinegar is another way to clean your mugs with everyday household items. Using vinegar means that you don’t need to use bleach or dishwashing liquid to get it clean. Although other types of vinegar might work as well, white spirit vinegar would be the best for this process.

To use vinegar to clean your coffee mugs, heat the vinegar in a pot or saucepan over medium heat. Use enough vinegar to be able to submerge the mugs you want to clean. Once the vinegar is warm but not boiling, remove from heat, then submerge the cups in the vinegar and let the coffee mugs rest in the hot vinegar for about 4 hours.

Once the allotted time has elapsed, you can remove the mugs, and rinse them with regular or soapy water if you feel the need to do so.

Conclusion

There are a few different methods that you can use to clean your coffee mugs, but one of the best methods to clean your coffee mug is by bleaching it. Bleaching your mugs will not compromise their structure, causing them to break more easily, but it will remove the stains. Bleaching your coffee mugs will also not cause you any harm if you remember to rinse them properly afterward.

Is It Safe To Bleach Coffee Mugs?