Photo: jorgenjacobsen (Getty)
The thing is that you’re probably drinking some coffee while reading this, so apologies in advance, but we have to tell you this very important bit of news: that office mug of yours is most likely covered in shit. Let us explain.
According to University of Arizona professor of environmental microbiology Dr. Charles Gerba, up to 90 percent of mugs in office kitchens are covered in germs. Oh, and 20 percent of those cups actually carry fecal matter. And who is the main culprit in all of this? Communal kitchen sponges that are rarely changed. Here’s what Gerba had to say:
“Coliform bacteria were present on 20 percent of the coffee cups before and 100 percent of the coffee cups after wiping with a dish cloth or sponge. No E. coli was found on cups prior to wiping. However, 20 percent of coffee cups were positive for E. coli after wiping. The presence of insanitary conditions in office kitchen and/or coffee preparation areas is of concern. The presence of potential pathogens in this environment necessitates the initiation of proper sanitary standards.”
The “A Microbial Survey of Office Coffee Cups and Effectiveness of an Office Cup Washer for Reduction of Bacteria”, was first published in the journal Dairy, Food and Environmental Sanitation.
Other places that are filled with germs in your office? Your desktop and keyboard, not surprising. And allow us to scare you even more. Here’s what NYU School of Medicine clinical professor of microbiology and pathology Dr. Philip Tierno told Marketwatch:
“We are bathed, as a society, in human feces. People spread whatever they have on their hands — like feces, which can be transmitted very easily.”
So in conclusion, it is recommended you take your office coffee mug home everyday and wash it. Or better yet, just stop leaving your mug at the office — it’s pretty gross, people.
h/t NY Post
