coffee press screen with mold stains

September 12, 2007 5:02 PM

My coffee press screen has what looks like mold stains on it. (I left some tea in it for too long.) Is it OK to use? If I must remove the stains...how?
posted by keith0718 to food & drink (6 comments total)

If you have a dishwasher just stick in it there. I get to grow mould on mine approximately every time I go on holidays ! If it's a long holiday I get a bumper crop - just rinse it off and stick it in the dishwasher.

If you don't have a dishwasher I'm sure a stiff brush and some very hot water would do the trick but I can't actually say I've done that.
posted by southof40 at 5:13 PM on September 12, 2007

If you're really paraniod about it, let it soak in a bit of bleach for a few minutes. Even if the stain is still there, anything that could possilbly harm you will have been exterminated. Then rinse and use.
posted by lekvar at 5:30 PM on September 12, 2007

Or use a lighter to run a flame all over it. Boiling water, etc.
posted by rhizome at 5:35 PM on September 12, 2007

Consider the bleach heartily seconded. I will, form time to time, bleach mine anyway as it helps purge any persistent oils. Take care rewashing afterwards of course.
posted by mce at 7:41 PM on September 12, 2007

I used to work in a coffee shop where we cleaned Frech press screens all the time. The best way to clean your screen is with baking soda, water, and a toothbrush. Wet the toothrush, dip it in the baking soda, scrub screen, rinse, repeat until screen is clean. Even if you have seriously nasty stuff on there, the baking soda will most likely take it off.
posted by ezrainch at 9:52 PM on September 12, 2007

I'd follow ezrainch's instructions ahead of the bleach. In homebrewing you want to avoid the union of stainless steel and bleach due to corrosion. Maybe the outer layer of these things is plated with something, but I wouldn't go that route.

If you really want it clean, use a spoonful of lye drain cleaner in about a quart of water (roughly a 0.1 M solution of sodium hydroxide). It does a number on biological things (like mold and bacteria) but won't harm stainless or most plastics. I use it on my wort chiller (brewing beer at home) and occasionaly on my electrophoresis stuff (biochemistry at work). Pour off the NaOH solution, rinse well and you should be on your way. (If things taste soapy afterwards you didn't rise well.)
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 1:24 PM on September 13, 2007