The Vacuum Flask Needs to Be Cleaned Regularly to Prevent Bacteria From Growing Into Biofilm

Many people use vacuum flasks to enjoy either cold drinks in summer or hot drinks in winter. It is a good practice to replenish water often but one should remember to wash the vacuum flask thoroughly and regularly, for the bacteria will accumulate.

Taiwanese Family Practitioner, Chen Chung Hsien, reminds us of washing our vacuum flasks thoroughly to avoid a film of microbial plaque forming over time.

A microbial film is formed by microbial secretion, which congregates on the surface of an organism or a non-organism. An example of the congregation on teeth (living structure) is called teeth plaque. That congregating on a non-organism is a sticky film inside a water collector of a dehumidifier, for example.

Mr. Chen said that microbial plagues are likely produced over time under high humidity, no matter whether the surface is made of plastic or steel. Drinking water cannot be completely sterile. The mouth has close contact with the rim of the vacuum flask. Children may leave some food residues in the flask. The microbial film comprises a large number of bacteria and part of them would be pathological, which imposes harm to our health.

Mr. Chen stressed that the vacuum flask should be washed regularly and dried accordingly so that the drinking water would not be contaminated.

Most people think it is troublesome to clean the vacuum flask, particularly its lid which accumulates hidden dirt or residues. If the flask is filled with tea or coffee, stains will be left behind. Tan Dan-tzu, a Taiwanese registered nurse and committee member of The Physician Lin Chieh-liang Civil Health Care Association, mentioned that cotton swabs and hard brushes can be used to remove hidden dirt in the groves of the lid. The lid and opening of the flask should be cleaned with particular care.

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David Chu is a London-based journalist who has been working in the financial sector for almost 30 years in major cities in China and abroad, including South Korea, Thailand, and other Southeast Asian countries. He was born in a family specializing in Traditional Chinese Medicine and has a background in ancient Chinese literature.