The dangers of cups on the desk

Tea or coffee are familiar drinks for office workers. However, coffee cups, even if cleaned daily, still pose a risk of bacteria.

It’s cruel to say that your favorite mug for your tea or coffee at the office could be making you sick. If you’re constantly forgetting to wash your mug and leaving it until the next day, this habit needs to be corrected.

If a used coffee cup is not washed immediately, it will create conditions for bacteria to breed. Photo: Getty.

According to a professor of environmental microbiology at the University of Arizona (USA), cups and glasses in offices are breeding grounds for dangerous bacteria.

Speaking to Men's Health magazine, Professor Charles Gerba explained: "The germ base is in your favorite mug. If you keep your mug on your desk without cleaning it, germs start to breed immediately. Bacterial nests grow even if the mug only has a little coffee in it."

Simply scrubbing tea and coffee cups with a sponge is not enough to kill germs. Photo: Getty.

Research by Professor Charles Gerba shows that 90% of office cups and mugs are home to germs. They can survive on the surface of cups for up to 3 days."

In fact, germs and bacteria can still survive even if you clean your cup with a sponge that is shared by all employees.

Professor Gerba recommends taking the cup home every day and rinsing it with warm water to kill any bacteria.

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