Cleaning a hip flask or Tankard

The (actual) famous ladies hip flask.I am quite often asked about the technical side of maintaining and cleaning your hip flask and/or Tankard after purchase and to this end I have put together a care for and cleaning of your hip flask or tankard guide. Please do feel free to add to it or to send us any hints or tips you have come across or if you need clarification on any issues contact us through one of our websites, Flaskstore, Tankardstore, Gifts of Distinction or David-Louis Product Design.

The metal and hip flask exterior:

We supply hip flasks and tankards in both steel and pewter.

Pewter is a soft metal and normally its lustre mellows with age but should you wish to return it to its original high polish, use a reputable brand of liquid polish such as ‘Haggertys’, ‘town talk’ or ‘Johnsons’. Always clean with a soft cloth, rubbing gently in one direction to avoid leaving deep scratch marks.

Pewter hip flasks age and develop character over time.

Stainless steel is a very hard metal and essentially will retain its finish indefinitely.

Stainless steel hip flasks tend to be manufactured using machinery to press, blank and shape the item, and are normally made in high volume.

Pewter hip flasks are hand made to order by a pewter smith, each one is crafted by hand here in the UK.

To clean the inside of a hip flask or pewter tankard:

Hip flasks and tankards should all be washed before first use.

1) Thoroughly wash the inside using a solution of clean, warm water and several drops of washing up liquid, then rinse thoroughly with clean water before use.

2) With new hip flasks, before first use, fill the flask with plain water, screw the top down hard and shake vigorously to ensure the flask is watertight before filling with spirit.

3) Always keep your flask clean on the outside, and clean the inside of the flask in between uses for reasons of hygiene.

4) For pewter flasks, spirit can be retained in the flask for a week or so and no more.

5) Pewter flasks are not suitable for use with soda water or carbonated drinks.

6) They are not suitable for use in a dishwasher.

I hope the information I have provided is useful to you; if you need some specific information, please do get in touch.


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