Drinking Straws | Pad Patter 1.3

I only use a straw if given one at a restaurant. However, my kids wanted straws so eventually I stopped buying plastic ones and bought glass ones from https://www.strawesome.com I think it has been about 5 years now that we've had them, and only once has one broken (it fell or something fell on it, I forget, but it wasn't while anyone was using it).

I'm with Karen on the ickiness of not being able to see inside straws to see if they're clean (I don't like water bottles with straws for that reason too) so that's why I like the glass ones. They come out sparkling from the dishwasher.

We also have one silicone straw I happened to pick up at a coffee shop a couple years ago but I think my son prefers the glass ones.

A neat thing about Strawesome straws is the variety of sizes and designs.

 

I haven't tried glass...I'm ok with metal...let us know if you try glass

 

This one looks particularly useful

https://www.strawesome.com/shop/clear-glass-straws/clear-wine-bottle-glass-straw/

 

I love straws. I have one of those glass dispensers for disposable bendy plastic straws, but we mostly use re-usable acrylic straws. I have a special brush to clean the insides of the straws. The only dishwasher in my house is me, lol!

 

My husband got very distracted by my metal straw hitting my metal cup on a long car trip. So my daughter bought me a set of the silicone inserts to keep the metal off the metal. It also included the tip for you sip through. I didn't think that was a big deal until I lost my tip --- man, that metal is cold in your mouth! So yes, get the bumpers and the sipper tips!! They come in lots of colors that you can mix or match.

 

We don't use the plastic ones any more for environmental reasons. Last November (back when we used to travel and eat in restaurants ) I bought a set of silicone ones to bring to Disney since they went to paper-only. The silicone ones were great for the few frozen drinks we got there that really needed a straw, but other than that we never use them. I don't put them in the dishwasher--I don't think they'd get all that clean in it. I clean them with a brush as soon as possible after use.

 

Have you seen bottle brushes? Every reusable straw I've bought came with one that is longer and skinnier to work with the straw. It's a long metal with bristels.

Ditto.

 

I feel like I've tried them all! I hate the paper ones since they have a weird mouthfeel, and I don't like when they look like they are decomposing in your drink!
(I wrote this and realized: I'm more opinionated about straws than I realized! )

Silicone - The silicone ones we had, I hated. They were too bendy, no form to them, and didn't suck right. Like, shakes were too thick, but water-like drinks were too thin. Plus, I felt like I was constantly shining a flashlight down them to see if they were clean.

Glass - I don't like the mouthfeel. A shake made the straw really cold. And I worried about the glass itself. Nothing takes the enjoyment out of a drink like having to be timid about every sip. Also, the ones we had were wider than a normal straw, and I learned I don't like that. On the plus side, they cleaned pretty easy and you could see that they were clean.

Metal - Nope. I don't like the mouthfeel. And I don't like the metallic taste. Hated not being able to see if it was clean. And the extreme hot or cold made me nervous, especially since my kid is known to stick a straw in hot chocolate. Because why not?

Hard Plastic - I love these. I bought a set in 11 inch and in 9 inch. We even traveled with them in 2019 on our US trip. They have a similar mouthfeel to plastic straws, but they are a little more rigid. The width is right, not too open. They would be horrible for shakes but are perfect for other drinks. They came with a cleaner brush. The stripes let me see in them so I can see that they are clean. We keep some in our car, in a plastic bag. When we are out we refuse straws and use these. I know it's still plastic, but for me, 1 reusable plastic straw is replacing so many of the one-time use ones, I'm okay with it. Plus, we don't have the paper wrappers that seem to litter everywhere. Oh, and they don't change temperature based on the drink. And so far, despite red sodas, they don't stain either.

 

the reason is two fold....one because of money, I can easily afford to spend $10-30 a week on stuff but not hundreds and b) then there is less to do when I actually move....its hard enough that I have to find all of my larger furniture and whiteware once I move so the more I do while I have time the better

 

These are similar to the ones I have ... hard plastic/acrylic. I also don’t mind paper straws ... back when I was a kid straws were paper. Last time I was at Disney World (11/2019) I’d grab a few extra straws from the food court to use during the day b/c not all of the restaurants had straws, not even paper ones, and I have to have a straw, lol!

 

When I'm in a restaurant or anyplace out, I must have a straw. My kids and gks love straws and I like them for iced tea. We buy the bend-y straws.

 

Due to the title of this chat thread I thought I would share about the gift my daughter, Ruth gave her little second-cousin, James for Christmas. James is 9 years old and very autistic ( still not talking or toilet trained) so most of Christmas day he carried around with him the two straws Ruth has given him. They were special straws made of "health" plastic - in the right colours for autism - blue and green. James just loves anything that is long and round - he loves uncooked spaghetti and not to eat it but to play with the sticks.

 

I really did not know that this was such a thing. I generally decline the straw and drink from the glass.
I have seen the metal ones, a friend takes them everywhere she goes.

 

I only use a straw if I'm eating at a restaurant. I have a glass straw that I keep in my purse. It came in its own little bag with a cleaning brush and I like the idea that I can wash it with soap and hot water and see that it's been properly cleaned.

 

I prefer to use a straw in restaurants and I prefer plastic over paper. I do not carry my own.

At home, I have a metal straw that I use in my water tumbler and my two older kids also have dedicated straws for their water cups. All of our cups have stainless steel interiors. We don't drink anything except water through those straws and I have a nice straw brush that I use when I wash them. My youngest and my husband do not have dedicated water tumblers; they just take a glass out of the cupboard whenever they are thirsty. The rest of us carry them around the house (and we take them in the car too.)

My straws are metal, with a slight bend; my son's are plastic and straight (and came with his cups); my daughter's are metal with a bent silicone tip.

 

I don't use drinking straws at home, my son (17 years old) loves using a drinking straw. I will often find him sat drinking a hot chocolate using a drinking straw. For Christmas we bought him a set of mental reusable drinking straws which he loved

 

That was my biggest problem with straws, too. But now I found re-usable straws made from silicone or rubber (not sure) that consist of two halves (lengthwise). You can take them apart for easy cleaning and put them back together in a second. We all love them.