thermos cleaner

[1962]

i figured there had to be alot of coffee drinkers on this site who had some advice on how to clean the inside of a stanley stainless steel thermos. i have been using a bottle brush, hot water, and soap and its just not removing the black residue. years ago with the same type thermos i tried some coffee pot cleaner that was probably intended for glass pot use. the outcome was after that cleaning the thermos never kept the coffee hot very long. cold coffee too often just dont cut it so i tossed the bottle in the trash.
should i go and purchase a new bottle, or does anybody have a cleaning remedy.. thanks.

 

[beenthere]

Hmm? as long as the coffee stays hot and it tastes like coffee, why clean it?

 

[HomeBrew2]

beenthere has a very good point. But for some of us who use a thermos to bootleg adult beverages into places where they aren't allowed, the old coffee taste spoiles the whole experience. When normal cleaners won't work, in the home or the shop, I use liquid dishwasher solvent ... I mean detergent.
Cheers!

 

[GaryM]

I'm a tea drinker rather than a coffee drinker, but here's what I use.

Dip-it is a powder that you add to the coffee carafe, or thermos, after filling with boiling water. I use about 2 Tbs in my quart thermos.

The liquid will kind of foam and overflow the thermos some, so I do it in the sink to keep the counter clean.

Let it sit for about 3 minutes and dump it out. Then rinse well with water. I sometimes rinse with a baking soda solution to obtain a nice fresh taste.

I believe there is also a Dip-It liquid. I've not tried it so can't say if it's the same thing.

 

[JerryG]

Put a little bleach in and fill with water. Let it sit over night. Then wash out well.

 

[RobertN]

Put a couple table spoons of baking soda in there. Fill it up with hot water. Let it sit for a bit, then brush it out.

Baking soda works well for lots of "stuff" that is baked on, caked on, or just plain on.

 

[Cityboyfarmer]

BB’s are the best method I’ve seen to clean a thermos if it is metal. Put a small amount of water in the thermos with a small handful of BB’s along with a teaspoon to a tablespoon of bleach, depending on the size of the thermos. You can use dishwashing liquid, but it foams up a lot. Dishwasher detergent works well too.

Anyway, with the water, bleach and BB combination, place the lid on and shake it up, down and all around. It will take all the goop off the inside of the thermos and leave it shiny & clean inside.

This is the best and fastest method I've tried.

 

[Inspector507]

Crushed ice, or cubes if you have to, and detergent/water. Always worked for me /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[johnday]

1962; Crushed ice, a lot of salt, and a little water. Shake till happy, or clean. Which ever comes first!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[DrRod]

If you can get inside it with a brush, try toothpaste. Also works great on plastic coolers and the like.

 

[Highbeam]

They make commercial products for this. Cleaning coffee makers, pots, thermoses, etc. I bought some for like 4$ for a cup or so and since I'm a dork I looked at the label. Turns out it is sodium carbonate, one carbonate short of baking soda. It works real well.

Okay, zoom forward to a pool chemical supply place. I use a PH adjuster in my hot tub to keep the PH up. I buy a prettty huge volume of this powder for a couple of bucks. Guess what the label says... sodium carbonate.

I used the chemical on my coffee pot and my thermos to make the thing rid of the black coating. The coating has nothing to do with the ability of the thermos to hold heat since when new it has no black grime. The bigger question is whether your guts have that black grime coating.

Sodium Carbonate, with hot water then rinse well. Or just buy the commercial product. Or ignore it.

 

[erich]

I have a stainless steel thermos from Duluth Trading Company. To clean it I put a scoop of Electrasol dishwasher detergent in it and fill it with hot water. Let it stand overnight and rinse it well. You will be amazed!

Eric

 

[inveresk]

I discovered when my daughter was newborn that diaper cleaner works a treat. First time her diapers were soaked overnight, the old stained sink in the laundry room came up like brand new. I'm sure the stuff would do the same for the inside of your thermos.

 

[inveresk]

Incidentally, it was a powder to be dissolved in water and was called Napisan.

 

[meledward23]

WHAT CLEAN OUT THE OLD COFFEE? ? ?

Who would do this? Coffee stains mean you have additional flavor crystals in the bottom of the pot/thermos/kettle.....

Same as a beer from a Pewter Mug, dont wash with soap and water, rinse well, and enjoy your last beer/coffee the next time.

Now of course this presumes you use the container for the same coffee bean or beer relentlessly. We wouldnt want to cross contaminate those flavors....

(oh and yes I am serious)

 

[SPIKER]

a little bit of good ole vinager works just like cleaning the coffe pot. the liquid detergent for automatic dish washers works too as does the baking soda. then remember not to drink the mixture as I'm sure it will un-coat you're innards just as effencintly /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif worst thing is that dish soap taste when the little woman decicdeds to help you out /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
mark m

 

[Highbeam]

At least in fresh water tanks on submarines, that slime, gunk, coating is what kept the water tasting good. After cleaning those, the water tastes bad like metal. I don't have that problem with a coffee pot, it tastes the same but looks better.

You can get some mean mold growing in a cup of coffee. I wonder if that oily black tar in the thermos could grow anything?