We've all got a trusty coffee mug at work. Something slightly battered and scratched, and more than likely stained an unsightly brown with the residue of countless cups of tea or coffee. How frequently do you clean them? I mean really clean them? Give them a good scrub with dishwashing soap and a sponge rather than just a quick rinse down to remove the dregs of the last drink? Probably not for a long time I assume. Don't worry, this isn't one of those blogs which will suddenly reveal that not washing your cup causes cancer or something, it's actually rather good news for those with a casual attitude towards keeping their mugs clean.

According to the Wall Street Journal, mugs aren't the horrible breeding ground for germs and viruses you might think. A cursory rinse is often good enough to clean them out, and viruses tend not to live long on surfaces anyway. Besides, the hot water from your tea and coffee is probably great at killing off any bacteria. So you don't have to worry overly much about keeping your mug pristine, unless it's mouldy, in which case clean that mug, and go take a good hard look at yourself in the mirror and hang your head in shame.

In fact you may be making yourself more sick by carefully cleaning your mug. If you use a communal sponge or dishrag to do your cleaning, that's far worse than barely cleaning your mug in the first place. It's used for countless dirty surfaces, and stays damp for a long time afterwards. In short it's the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. You're better off using a dishwasher, or just some soap, hot water, and your hands.

Or, you can just adhere to my personal favourite solution. Always have a fresh, piping hot coffee in that mug. Can't breed germs when it's constantly filled with coffee!

Originally seen on: http://mentalfloss.com/article/88403/how-bad-it-go-weeks-without-washing-your-office-coffee-mug