Due to a "drink cup malfunction" some soda got into the lid and gummed up the latch with high-fructose corn syrup. Trying to figure out the easiest means to fix it. Anyone else had to do this and figure out some shortcut? Any tips to make it easier if I have to take it all apart to clean the latch mechanism?

 

IMO your best bet would be to take it apart and clean it. Just wait until that fine Texas heat wakes up all that high-fructose corn syrup this summer.