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Science Confirms: You Kinda Never Have to Wash Your Coffee Mug

Um, it's actually the least germy option

coffee mug hero

You’re getting ready to leave work for the day and you prep your desk for the morning. Maybe you restart your computer or throw out unnecessary scraps of paper. You also, if you’re like us, haphazardly wash your desk coffee mug. It would be gross not to at least give it a quick scrub, no? Turns out, not so much.

According to a recent column in The Wall Street Journal, it’s OK to never wash your mug. Wait…what?

As long as you aren’t sharing with anyone (which, ew), it’s actually preferable to keep your mug unwashed, since the alternative involves scrubbing it with a communal sponge that’s probably full of other peoples’ germs.

And so continues the exciting tradition of our gross/lazy/not-good behaviors being validated by science.


sarah stiefvater

Wellness Director

  • Oversees wellness content
  • PureWow's resident book reviewer
  • Has worked in lifestyle media for 11 years