Happy that many municipalities are banning plastic straws. These straws are not recycled and end up in landfills and or sea animals’ noses or stomachs.
Not using plastic straws is a small thing that we each contribute. Collectively, it will end up being a big thing. It will benefit the environment and our health. The less plastic exposure in our food, the better. Plastic in straws can leach into your food. Safety advice: never use a metal straw while driving – the metal could pierce your brain or other organs if you were in a motor vehicle accident…
There are other types of non-plastic straws: bamboo and paper. Bamboo straws texturally feel better, they are harder to sanitize. Also after a few uses, they tend to crack or split, making them useless as straws (I have repurposed my bamboo straws by using them as stirrers for washing small things or stirring coffee). The problem with paper straws is they tend to fall apart before you finish your drink. Metal straws are longer lasting.
The metal straws I bought came with a tiny cleaning brush and a silicone holder. But I don’t have the patience to use the cleaning tiny brush.
Here are the steps to easily clean your straws:
- After use, keep soaked in water or rinse off.
- You can put straws into the silicone holder or
- Side straw into utensil rack, with the top side (curved end) of straw down, threading it through the holes. This maximizes the amount of water going into the straw and prevents the straws from dropping through the utensil rack.
- Use only natural dishwasher detergent.* This avoids the chemical residues left on your dishes and in the straws. Also, avoid rinsing agents. If your water is really hard, find a natural biodegradable detergent. No need to consume undisclosed chemicals. Plus our lakes and rivers don’t need them either.
*https://www.ewg.org/guides/subcategories/24-*DishwasherDetergent/https://www.ewg.org/guides/subcategories/26-RinseAid/
Blogging about What It Takes to be Healthy 