Once you’ve taken the center out of your strawberry with the soda straw, please don’t dispose of the straw. You can buy these tiny brushes especially created for cleaning out both small and large soda straws. If you already have plastic straws, use them to death. I’ve used the same dozen straws for over a year now. Soaked and brushed out in hot soapy water and rinsed, they are as sanitary as any other dishes you use over and over.
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lifelessons - a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown 
I use a gadget that I’ve had for years — a metal gadget like little tongs. You stick the ends in beside the stem, squeeze and turn a little, and the tongs extract the stem and pith. Easy to use, easy to store, and easy to clean.
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Most plastic straws are made of polypropylene and not accepted by recyclers. Most plastic straws are toxic and some carcinogenic. Plastic straws don’t break down in land fill but they do release chemicals of time which is why I only use paper straws and rinse to be recycled with other paper. We very seldom need to use a straw anyway since we don’t buy takeaway items.
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I have a straw brush. It’s one of the first pieces of kitchen equipment I bought. We use plastic straws in our cups. We use all covered cups because we are klutzes and don’t want to dump our drinks into the computers.
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Ahead of your times…
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That’s awesome to know!! Sometimes I try to run them through the dishwasher, but then they develop “speed bumps”. It’s so sad.
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Any kitchen store should have them, or look online.
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Thank you!
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