Coffee mugs in the office.. bacteria

ando

Ok I bring in a mug to work for my coffee and wash it using the communal sponge, all looks good but we all know bacteria lurks there. After reading elsewhere a fact that "twenty percent of mugs carry faecal bacteria" I decided enough!! There are people here that have cold sores and wash their mugs with the same sponges and those sponges are left there on the sink overnight, fresh for the day ahead :eek: !! Hmmmm. Anywho, any ideas on how to properly clean the coffee mug without relying on the communal sponge? I was thinking just put boiling water into my mug, all the way to the top and let it sit there for a few mins? I hate the idea of bringing it home every day, a right pain but I'll do it if neccessary.

By posting this I realise I open myself to the possibility of severe slagging’s, possible wet willy's and told off'inis, but I am determined to not start getting sick and cold sore ridden, like a few guys in here already...!!! And yes I am straight, in a committed relationship and fully comfortable with my heterosexuality, I just love my coffee’s in the morning and afternoons! :cool:

_Brian

Scald it with a kettle?
Wet the mug bu running under the tap, then pop it in a microwave for 30 seconds. If you have access to microwave.

fizzypish

Just douse it in boiling water at the end of each day after you've cleaned of the heavy stuff. As far as the faecal material goes.... I don't think your doing coffee right....

Barely There

ando wrote: »

And yes I am straight, in a committed relationship and fully comfortable with my heterosexuality,

What?

Ruu

Do you have access to a flamethrower in your office?

DrGreenthumb

kylith

I'd be more worried about the cold sores to than the bacteria, after all, you get a face full of fecal bacteria every time you flush the loo - it's fine. It's probably 'a type of bacteria that is also found in poo' rather than 'bacteria that is only found in poo'.

You have a couple of choices:
1) bring your mug home every evening.
2) bring your own sponge to work.
3) scald the mug.

jester77

We put them in the dishwasher, those sponge's are nasty.

Frank Lee Midere

I'm kinda wondering if anybody has ever died from coffee mug poisoning?

Mr E

I have my own mug (different from the others) and I wash it myself. Problem solved. Next.

Luke92

Touch it gently, put two fingers inside, if it's wide use three fingers, make sure it's wet and rub up and down. Yep that's how you wash a cup.

Use your fingers and a bitta fairy washing up liquid! Or bleach.

cloud493

We only have plastic cups. Kinda destroys the point since it burns your fingers, but eh.

jamesbere

Frank Lee Midere wrote: »

I'm kinda wondering if anybody has ever died from coffee mug poisoning?

It's a silent killer, they say it's worse then Ebola

The Pheasant2

Cold sores are the herpes virus...you can't kill a virus, scald away if it brings you peace of mind

Luke92

Luke92 wrote: »

Touch it gently, put two fingers inside, if it's wide use three fingers, make sure it's wet and rub up and down. Yep that's how you wash a cup.

Use your fingers and a bitta fairy washing up liquid! Or bleach.

also goes for the furry cup

jamesbere

ando wrote: »

And yes I am straight, in a committed relationship and fully comfortable with my heterosexuality

Telling us your straight confirms your gay

who the fug

Can I just point out that our body is very very efficient at killing stuff it does not want , so stop with the over reactions and get a life

ando

ando wrote: »

Ok I bring in a mug to work for my coffee and wash it using the communal sponge, all looks good but we all know bacteria lurks there. After reading elsewhere a fact that "twenty percent of mugs carry faecal bacteria" I decided enough!! There are people here that have cold sores and wash their mugs with the same sponges and those sponges are left there on the sink overnight, fresh for the day ahead :eek: !! Hmmmm. Anywho, any ideas on how to properly clean the coffee mug without relying on the communal sponge? I was thinking just put boiling water into my mug, all the way to the top and let it sit there for a few mins? I hate the idea of bringing it home every day, a right pain but I'll do it if neccessary.

By posting this I realise I open myself to the possibility of severe slagging’s, possible wet willy's and told off'inis, but I am determined to not start getting sick and cold sore ridden, like a few guys in here already...!!! And yes I am straight, in a committed relationship and fully comfortable with my heterosexuality, I just love my coffee’s in the morning and afternoons! :cool:

Just because they are faecal bacteria doesn't necessarily mean they came from faeces.

Gongoozler

In that case OP, you might want to remove your toothbrush from the bathroom.

Cupcake_Crisis

Scald it! I do before every use.

anncoates

Puff.

VinLieger

Pff washing mug's....... my mug with a lid stay's on my desk where it is touched by nobody and the only washing it gets is with a new filling of coffee, adds to the flavour too

If you start thinking like that you might as well get a bottle of hand sanitizer for using after you have been on public transport, I know some one who does this because off all the germs on the bus! or what about the cups and mugs in coffee shops how do you know they are washed properly! Its best not thinking about it.

darkpagandeath

ando wrote: »

Ok I bring in a mug to work for my coffee and wash it using the communal sponge, all looks good but we all know bacteria lurks there. After reading elsewhere a fact that "twenty percent of mugs carry faecal bacteria" I decided enough!! There are people here that have cold sores and wash their mugs with the same sponges and those sponges are left there on the sink overnight, fresh for the day ahead :eek: !! Hmmmm. Anywho, any ideas on how to properly clean the coffee mug without relying on the communal sponge? I was thinking just put boiling water into my mug, all the way to the top and let it sit there for a few mins? I hate the idea of bringing it home every day, a right pain but I'll do it if neccessary.

By posting this I realise I open myself to the possibility of severe slagging’s, possible wet willy's and told off'inis, but I am determined to not start getting sick and cold sore ridden, like a few guys in here already...!!! And yes I am straight, in a committed relationship and fully comfortable with my heterosexuality, I just love my coffee’s in the morning and afternoons! :cool:

You must be Terrified of handling money then..

Valetta

ando wrote: »

Ok I bring in a mug to work for my coffee and wash it using the communal sponge, all looks good but we all know bacteria lurks there. After reading elsewhere ....

Stop reading stuff and you'll be grand.

jimmybeige

The Pheasant2 wrote: »

Cold sores are the herpes virus...you can't kill a virus, scald away if it brings you peace of mind

I don't think that's true. Some are tough to kill depending on what you use, but I don't think the above is a fact by any means.

Akrasia

Mr E wrote: »

I have my own mug (different from the others) and I wash it myself. Problem solved. Next.

Ah, but are you washing it in the communal office water supply? Cause everyone knows that's aids and ebola infested

Akrasia

VinLieger wrote: »

Pff washing mug's....... my mug with a lid stay's on my desk where it is touched by nobody and the only washing it gets is with a new filling of coffee, adds to the flavour too

I hope you take your coffee black cause otherwise... eww

Akrasia

jimmybeige wrote: »

I don't think that's true. Some are tough to kill depending on what you use, but I don't think the above is a fact by any means.

You can't kill them cause technically, they're not actually alive. A bit like zombies.

You can only stop viruses by removing their head or destroying their brain.

The Backwards Man

When people were living in caves and mud huts do you think they worried about dirty mugs and hand sanitisers?

hardCopy

Tis good for the immune system OP.

dunworth1

Gongoozler wrote: »

In that case OP, you might want to remove your toothbrush from the bathroom.

Mythbusters say poo is everywhere :eek::pac:

http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters/videos/surprise-toothbrush-minimyth.htm

Mr. CooL ICE

ando wrote: »

After reading elsewhere a fact that "twenty percent of mugs carry faecal bacteria" I decided enough!!

Where do you work? The studio that shot 2girls1cup? And are there only 5 cups there?

Summer wind

Why not buy some of those disposable cardboard cups then use and discard.

kneemos

Faecal matter is a great phrase.

The Pheasant2

jimmybeige wrote: »

I don't think that's true. Some are tough to kill depending on what you use, but I don't think the above is a fact by any means.

It is true. They're not alive in the first place, therefore can't be killed

Buona Fortuna

kneemos wrote: »

Faecal matter is a great phrase.

Plus makes a lovely droppa soup

Dont be at yourself

I've got an espresso cup on my desk that hasn't seen a drop of water in about 4 years -- just a twice daily gloop of coffee.

RonanP77

I bring my own mug and keep it in my lunchbox, I wash it out with boiling water and wipe it with kitchen roll I bring in.

I bring in my own coffee, butter, salt, everything and it all comes home with me again. Hygiene is an alien concept to some of the lads that work with me so I avoid anything they touch.

Boskowski

Mmmmh bacteria

PizzamanIRL

1 office 1 cup.

bodice ripper

Tell everyone else you have suffered horribly from cold sores in the past.

ALiasEX

The Backwards Man wrote: »

When people were living in caves and mud huts do you think they worried about dirty mugs and hand sanitisers?

If they had, maybe they would still be alive today.

corner of hells

Dont be at yourself wrote: »

I've got an espresso cup on my desk that hasn't seen a drop of water in about 4 years -- just a twice daily gloop of coffee.

Is a gloop a metric or imperial measurement ?
Anyways OP this problem is easily solved , take a picture of yourself with your knob out , head toward the Ilac centre , get the Polish bird with the kiosk selling crap to transfer your pic onto a mug and return to the office .Use mug .

somesoldiers

Nicolas Cage wrote: »

Where do you work? The studio that shot 2girls1cup? And are there only 5 cups there?

wish I could thank twice...

ceadaoin.

Bring in your own sponge? Or antibacterial washing up liquid? You'll probably look a bit weird bringing your own sponge and washing up liquid to the kitchen though. Maybe you could hide them in there and use it when no one is looking? I think filling it with boiling water and leaving it to sit for a few minutes or popping it in the microwave should be enough to kill any germs.

Faecal bacteria is everywhere apparently, even in our mouths. That's probably how it gets in the mugs in the first place. I'm sure it's only trace amount and doesn't pose any risk to your health.

catallus

This is why we need a dedicated detergent forum.

corner of hells

catallus wrote: »

This is why we need a dedicated detergent forum.

I think you should be the Mod for that forum too , in fact you'd probably clean up at it , wipe the floor with a few of us too.

catallus

I'd rinse it down and then polish it up until it's wet enough to lick.