Midea America Launches Industry-First STRAWash™ Dishwasher
New innovation helps tackle one of the most persistent kitchen cleanup frustrations: hand-washing reusable straws, lids and tumblers.
PARSIPPANY-TROY HILLS, N.J., Oct. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Midea America announced the launch of the STRAWash™ Dishwasher with Total Tumbler Clean, an industry-first dishwasher designed to tackle a cleaning task many consumers have come to accept as part of daily life: hand-washing reusable drinkware components after the dishwasher cycle is already finished.
As reusable drinkware has become part of everyday routines, Midea's Consumer Insights team spent time in homes observing how consumers cleaned, loaded and used their dishwashers. Across dozens of in-home visits, the team noticed a surprisingly consistent behavior: while dishwashers handled most of the cleanup, many consumers still removed reusable straws, lids and tumblers for additional soaking or hand-washing because they weren't confident the dishwasher could fully clean them.
What consumers viewed as a small but unavoidable chore revealed an overlooked opportunity for innovation. Rather than asking consumers to adapt their routines, Midea challenged itself to redesign the dishwasher experience around the way people live today. The result was a multi-year development journey focused on solving a problem that had largely gone unnoticed by the category.
Following extensive testing and multiple design iterations, Midea is introducing STRAWash™, an industry-first straw-cleaning system featuring five dedicated precision jets engineered to deep clean reusable straws inside and out while delivering a complete cleaning solution for bottles, tumblers and lids.
"Ten years ago, oversized insulated tumblers weren't a part of most people's daily routines. Today, they're everywhere," said Justin Reinke, President of Midea America. "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. We saw an opportunity to rethink the experience and developed STRAWash™ with Total Tumbler Clean to help solve that frustration."
This launch reflects Midea's approach to innovation: identifying real-world consumer frustrations, no matter how small they may seem, and developing practical, often surprising solutions that make everyday life easier. STRAWash™ is the latest example of the company's commitment to creating thoughtful innovations inspired by the way consumers live, rather than simply adding features for the sake of features.
Total Tumbler Clean: Designed for Modern Drinkware
At the heart of the dishwasher is STRAWash™, the industry's first dedicated straw-cleaning system. A specialized basket securely positions reusable straws while five precision high-pressure jets clean both the inside and outside surfaces to help remove hard-to-reach residue.
As part of the broader Total Tumbler Clean system, the dishwasher also features dedicated cleaning zones for bottles, tumblers and lids, along with flexible rack configurations designed to accommodate reusable drinkware accessories without sacrificing everyday loading flexibility.
The dishwasher also includes Midea's SENSOR TruDry™ system, which combines intelligent moisture sensing, convection drying and an Auto-Open Door feature to help reduce moisture and improve drying performance. For busy households, the appliance also offers both a 1-Hour Wash & Dry cycle and a 30-minute rapid-clean option.
Availability
The STRAWash™ Dishwasher with Total Tumbler Clean is available at Lowe's and Best Buy. For more information, visit http://midea.com/ and follow @midea_us on Instagram for product updates and announcements.
About Midea America
Midea America is a U.S. subsidiary within Midea Group, a Fortune 500 company, known for making life easier for millions around the globe. As a leading innovator of home appliances, Midea is proud of its 166,000+ employees and presence in 200+ countries, including here in the U.S.
Midea's lineup of products—from kitchen appliances to air conditioners, laundry, and floor care—surprises and delights consumers in just about every part of their homes. Headquartered in Parsippany, N.J., with an innovation hub in Kentucky, Midea America ensures your appliances don't just work hard—they work smart.
Our goal? To reimagine home appliances so daily chores feel less like work and more like wins. We blend design, performance, and convenience into every product—whether it's a freezer that adapts to your changing needs or a dishwasher that works quietly to make dishes sparkle. At Midea, we create products that fit seamlessly into your busy life, bringing practical innovations that are affordable and reliable. Because home appliances should have a simple job—to make your life easier.
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SOURCE Midea America Corp.
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