How to Clean Cups

Co-authored by Eduardo Peralta

Last Updated: February 7, 2018

Do you have dirty cups that need to be cleaned? This article will help you learn how to remove stains, and how to wash your cups without using the dishwasher. Learning to wash dishes properly is a good skill for both children and adults to learn.

Steps

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Be sure to include coffee mugs or any other dirty cup that needs a good washing.
Fill your kitchen sink with very hot water, enough water, that is more than half, but less than to the very top. Add a squirt of dish soap in the water, and on a sponge, and make sure your sponge is wet, with dish soap on it. Put in all the cups into the hot water in sink and start cleaning. Once you are done with the cups, you can wash your plates, cutlery and cooking utensils.

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Scrub the cups with a sponge, the handles, the bottom and insides, getting stains off the cup, and also wipe clean the top, where you put your mouth on the cup, for, it is unclean to not wipe the mouth part.
Coffee stains, and other stains, need some work to get clean, so scrub a little harder, but also let all the cups soak in the hot water longer, for that gets the stains looser, and easier to get clean.
Rinse off the soap and water, and make sure you rinse well in very hot water.
Some people like to buy a rack to hang your cups, so the water drips off the cups. But, if you want your dishes to be done quickly, hang your cups on a rack. When you're done washing all the dishes, wipe the dishes with a cloth towel. You might want to wash your towel after drying the washer.
Put away your clean cups, and other dishes in a cupboard, or somewhere safe from getting dirty, and where you can grab one with out breaking a cup or other dish.
Purchase and place a kitchen rug near the sink. If you drop a cup during the washing, it's less likely to be broken and one under where you will gather cups from time to time.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How do you remove stubborn coffee stains from mugs?

Eduardo Peralta
House Cleaning Specialist
Eduardo Peralta is a House Cleaning Specialist and the Manager of Best Maid House Cleaning based in San Jose, California. With over five years of experience, Eduardo and the Best Maid House Cleaning team specialize in home deep-cleaning, post-construction cleaning, and green and eco-friendly cleaning services. Best Maid House Cleaning is fully licensed and insured.

Eduardo Peralta

House Cleaning Specialist

Expert Answer

Add about 1 tbsp (13.8 g) of baking soda to the mug/carafe, along with enough warm or boiling water to form a paste. Evenly coat the stained areas, letting the paste sit for about 10 minutes. Then, wash, scrub, and dry the mug as you normally would.

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Question

How do I get moldy milk out of a cup?

Victoria Allison

Community Answer

Use boiling water and rinse and repeat until most of the milk loosens. Then place a sterilizing tablet in boiling water in the cup, and then wash the cup with disinfectant. Follow this up with washing it regularly with washing up liquid or in a dishwasher.

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Tips

Purchase a bottle brush to get down inside the cups to get them clean.

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You could also purchase a brush made to clean to cups.

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Soak cups in hot water, or you won't get the dishes clean.

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Things You'll Need

Sponge for scrubbing. (You might want to different kinds, for different stains, like coffee, than just plain juice stains.)
Hot water.
Sink.
Cups and/or other dishes included
Dish rack
A drying towel
Rug, for catching cups that fall, so the cups won't break.