Midea America has launched a dishwasher designed to clean reusable straws along with the bottles, tumblers and lids that accompany them.
The STRAWash Dishwasher with Total Tumbler Clean
was announced Oct. 14, and is a major step forward in dishwashing everywhere. Midea describes STRAWash as the industry's first dedicated straw-cleaning system, and from what we've seen so far, that seems to be the case.Your run-of-the-mill dishwasher isn't the best at getting removable straws and such clean, which has led to most people (myself included) removing reusable straws, lids and tumblers from the dishwashers to soak or wash by hand. All in all, the task adds way too much time to kitchen cleanup (especially if you're like me and have kids who also use
a daily water bottle or 12).
The lack of technology to clean straws with a dishwasher has been a major pain point for many, as was pointed out by Midea's consumer research team.
"Ten years ago, oversized insulated tumblers weren't a part of most people's daily routines. Today, they're everywhere," Midea America President Justin Reinke said. "As that trend grew, we noticed consumers were still hand-washing straws, lids and other drinkware components because they didn't fully trust their dishwasher to clean them."
Today, you can put that tedious task behind you and let the dishwasher wash these parts for you.
Buy now
How Midea's STRAWash dishwasher cleans reusable straws
The STRAWash system uses a specialized basket to hold reusable straws in place. Five high-pressure precision jets are designed to clean their inside and outside surfaces, according to the announcement.
The dishwasher's Total Tumbler Clean system also has designated cleaning areas for bottles, tumblers and lids. Flexible rack configurations provide space for reusable drinkware accessories while allowing other dishes to be loaded.
The kitchen appliance also includes Midea's SENSOR TruDry system, which combines moisture sensing and convection drying with a door that automatically opens. Midea said the system is designed to reduce moisture and improve drying performance.
Two faster cleaning choices are available: a 1-Hour Wash & Dry cycle and a 30-minute rapid-clean option.
Where to buy a STRAWash dishwasher
Buy now
The midea.com STRAWash Dishwasher with Total Tumbler Clean is available at Lowe's and Best Buy. The dishwasher starts at $899, which is not far off from the average cost of a dishwasher. Costs typically range from about $400 to more than $1,000, so STRAWash fits right in that range. For a limited time, you can get one for $100 off.
Midea America is the U.S. subsidiary of Midea Group and is headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, with an innovation hub in Kentucky.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Midea just launched a dishwasher that cleans reusable straws, and it's $100 off
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