If you use your thermos or commuter mug only occasionally—say, when you oversleep and don’t have time to drink your homemade coffee—you want to keep it fresh without a stale smell. Here’s what to do…
Store your commuter mug (or thermos) with one white sugar cube or with one teaspoon of white sugar inside. Make sure the thermos is clean (see below) and dry, and the top is screwed on tight. The sugar will stop any stale odors before they start.
If your commuter mug is really dirty: Add equal parts of baking soda, cream of tartar and lemon juice—enough to fill about one-third of the container. Put the cover on and shake vigorously, or use a bottle brush to scrub with the mixture. Or use our favorite bottle-washing trick—put about two tablespoons of uncooked rice in the mug or thermos with the above cleaning mixture and about one-half cup of warm water, cover, shake vigorously, dump everything out, rinse and air dry. Your thermos/commuter mug has never been sweeter!
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