Does your office have community coffee mugs? Why you DON’T want to use them...

Some workplaces provide community coffee mugs in an attempt to be green - but you’re better off bringing your own...

Dr. Charles Gerba, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona says these mugs have been tested and 90% of them were covered with germs. 20% even tested positive for fecal matter. Most office kitchenettes don’t have a dishwasher and those mugs are washed by hand or with the community sponge. 

At work or at home, if a mug has traces of that coffee ring - consider that a filthy ring of bacteria. If you have a favorite commuting mug, be sure to run it through the dishwasher every day. Bacteria thrives in dark, warm places and rinsing it out isn’t enough to kill the coffee cooties.