Banish Smelly Odors From Your Protein Shaker Using A Common Kitchen Ingredient

For all the hashtag "fit-fam" gym mongers out there, we know how important it is to keep a healthy protein shake handy during the day. If your goal is to build up muscle, protein is a must. Whey powder comes in clutch in times like these because you can just mix it up in your protein shaker and throw it back. Oftentimes, however, cleaning the shaker can be tricky, especially if you're in a rush to get to and from the gym. Unfortunately, back-to-back inadequate washing can give it a putrid odor thanks to the globs of protein stuck to it. Thankfully, you can banish these foul odors with just enough vinegar.

Protein tends to smell terrible, especially when rotten because it contains thiol groups in its chemical makeup. Thiols are sulfur groups, and sulfur, as we well know, is responsible for a lot of nasty odors due to its pungent nature. Because protein shakers are usually used for mixing and blending the drinks, it's easy for chunks of protein to end up in hard-to-clean nooks and crannies.

Over time, the leftover protein molecules, coupled with the moisture and heat of an enclosed space, will cause the protein to rot and stink up your shaker. Vinegar is a versatile cleaning tool with the ability to blot out bad smells. If you've been plagued with a smelly protein shaker and don't want to buy another one, the solution is in your cabinet.

Vinegar is acidic, so it neutralizes terrible odors caused by bacteria from the protein particles in your protein shaker. To get rid of the stench, simply fill the shaker with a distilled white vinegar and water solution. Make sure to use white vinegar, not apple cider vinegar, which contains sugar. You don't want anything feeding the bacteria that have colonized your shaker or leaving behind a residue.

To make the vinegar solution, mix one part of vinegar with an equal part of warm water and fill the cup with it. Don't forget the lid, either. Protein shaker lids have plenty of crevices, so they should be taken apart carefully and submerged in the solution. Leave these standing overnight to give them time to work, and then rinse them out the next morning. By now, the smell should have dissipated. You can take this time to give it a final proper wash, getting all up in the lid parts, before rinsing. If your sponge isn't doing the job properly,  you may want to switch to a more flexible tool like an old toothbrush. The bristles will do the work of finding stray globs of protein and flick them out for you. If you don't want to hand wash your shaker, you can use your dishwasher. Repeat the vinegar solution steps to clear out the protein globules and then stick it in the dishwasher for an extra cleanse.