- If you rely on a cup of coffee (or more!) or tea to get through the workday, you may wonder just how often it really needs to be cleaned.
- There's no clear-cut answer, and it's largely based on what you feel comfortable with.
- However, experts agree that the communal office sponge is the biggest threat to your immune system.
- They also recommend not sharing your mug with colleagues and taking your mug home regularly to wash it in your own sink or dishwasher.
Whether you're a coffee or tea person, there's nothing like a piping hot cup of caffeine to get you through the nine to five grind.
But if you're skipping daily Starbucks runs to save some coins, or because the office kitchen is too close and convenient to pass up, you're likely also using your favorite reusable coffee mug. It makes sense: You're helping the environment by limiting paper or plastic waste, and keeping your favorite mug on your desk surely brings a smile to your face during long work days.
But, be honest: For some reason, cleaning your mug every time you use it feels downright impossible. Even though it only takes a minute or two, it's one of the most annoying tasks in your day. From running into that chatty coworker on the way to the sink, to the lack of adequate kitchen cleaning supplies, you might just, well, skip washing altogether.
So how often should you actually be washing your coffee cup? It seems that experts are pretty divided, so the answer might surprise you.
Your coffee cup probably isn't as dirty as you think it is.
Turns out, your mug itself is one of the smallest areas of worry when it comes to the germs running rampant in the average office building, thanks to people constantly bringing in various illnesses.
In 2016, Jeffrey Starke, a pediatrics professor at Baylor College of Medicine, told The Wall Street Journal that there's really not much to worry about in term sof germs on your office coffee mug. He says, "If I went and cultured the average unwashed coffee cup, of course I'm going to find germs. But remember the vast majority came from the person who used the cup."
Creamer and sugar can up the chances of mold growing in your coffee cup.
Still, Starke notes that a mug filled with all the good stuff — especially sugar and the creamer of your choice — ups your chances of icky bacteria lurking. And nursing that cup of joe for a long time (45 minutes or longer, roughly) also doesn't help matters, since "standing liquid can encourage environmental pathogens, especially mold, to grow. But if there's anything to be concerned about, it's really the sugar and creamer, both of which are the likely culprits of mold growth.
There's also the issue of bugs, like flies, sniffing out the residue left behind when you're not around — it sounds unlikely, but you just don't know what creepy crawlies come out to play when your whole team is out of the office.
Similarly, Starke advises that you don't share your mug with anyone without giving it a thorough cleansing before and after use, no matter how much you love your office pals. He adds, "During cold and flu season, I would guard my mug and make sure no one else is using it. Don't share."
The office sponge is likely to have way more germs than your coffee mug.
So maybe you do prefer to clean your mug before or after each use, because any or all of the above facts have left you fully grossed out. We have some bad news: It seems that using the communal kitchen sponge is probably way more disgusting than not washing at all. Really.
In 2016, Charles Gerba, Ph.D., professor of environmental microbiology at the University of Arizona, told LifeHacker that "around 90% of most office coffee mugs harbor dangerous germs, and 20% of those carry fecal bacteria."
Assuming that you're not enjoying your caffeine buzz from a bathroom stall, how can this be? You can blame those sponges and scrub brushes at the office kitchen sink, which are more than likely never washed and used by multiple people cleaning all kinds of dirty dishware each day. Ick.
Starke agrees, telling The Wall Street Journal, "The sponge in the break room probably has the highest bacteria count of anything in the office."
And if you're brewing your cup of joe using the office coffee pot, the damage is twofold: the coffee pot is probably teeming with germs, because it also likely never gets properly cleaned.
Your best bet is to clean your coffee cup with your hands and some dish soap.
The best method in a pinch, according to Dr. Gerba, is to clean the mug with hot water and dish soap, and use your hands and/or a paper towel to slough off any remaining residue. However, he recommends bringing the mug home as often as possible and washing it in your own personal dishwasher.
How you choose to handle your reusable mug, is ultimately up to you. Keep in mind that, according to Dr. Starke, the chances of passing on an illness or infection by way of a coffee mug is slim, especially when you're the only one drinking out of it. He says, "Of all the things people have to worry about, getting sick from an old coffee mug is at the bottom."
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