Parents across the country are outraged after they say they discovered mold on their child's sippy cups despite following cleaning instructions.
"They looked clean from the outside and I followed their cleaning directions, so it never occurred to me before," a Connecticut mother, who did not want to be identified, told NBC Connecticut of her child's Tommee Tippee cup. [[370052841, C]]
"The entire thing snaps out of the lid to wash. You can't snap them apart to clean inside the insert where the mold is. My husband had to cut it in half," she added.
The mom said she even tried boiling water and cleaning the pieces with a Q-tip but was appalled after her husband pried open the valve to discover mold inside.
Parents nationwide aired their frustrations on Tommee Tippee's North American Facebook page. Tommee Tippee said the company is taking complaints seriously and investigating what may be going wrong in test labs. [[370055271, C]]
According to parents writing on Tommee Tippee's Facebook page, the valve collecting mold can't be opened for cleaning and must be forced apart. Photos posted by parents show mold exposed after the valve is torn open.
One mother commented that her 19-month-old daughter has been sick continuously since October and only drank water out of her "favorite cup." She said she plans to file a formal complaint toward the company.
Local
Tommee Tippee wrote to customers on Facebook apologizing for the experience some parents are having with the company's latest sippy cup valve:
"Recently our Head Office Team and Careline advisers have spoken with parents directly about their feedback. We understand that the well-being of your little ones is paramount and we can reassure you that we have extensively tested the valves using recommended liquids and our specific cleaning guidelines, and the results have supported our view that when used and cleaned in line with instructions, everything is in order."
In addition, the Rhode Island-based company said they have listened to its customers and will be launching a new sippy cup that will have a two piece see-through valve that will be easier to clean. In the meantime, the company will provide parents with a free see-through valve or different cup.[[370052571, C]]
