When was the last time that you thoroughly cleaned your office mug? Are you in the habit of giving the mugs in your office a quick rinse? If so, it might be time to give it a proper clean.

In a recent report, it was claimed that office mugs can contain a worrying amount of germs because they are not cleaned regularly. Charles Gerba, a professor of environmental microbiology at University of Arizona, explained to Men’s Health that ‘colonies of germs’ live in office mugs and reusable cups. He says that twenty percent of office mugs carry fecal bacteria – yes, that’s poop – and ninety percent are covered in other grim germs. A good way to tell if your mug is clean is to see whether the stains inside have been removed.

Unfortunately a quick scrub won’t remove these stains, so follow these tips to ensure your mug is clean enough to use.

Before you start cleaning it is important that you have a strong scouring pad. The stains in your office mug can be very stubborn because tea and coffee will not budge without some scrubbing! We would recommend using a scouring pad as this is heavy duty enough to clean these stains. Also, remember to avoid the sponge that has been in your office kitchen because it could be full of bacteria and end up making your mug even dirtier.

It is important to add hot water to your mug as this will help to soften the stains. Leave the hot water in the mug for around 5 minutes and then move onto something stronger!

If you have some white vinegar in your office kitchen this is an easy way to clean your office mug, plus it’s eco-friendly. Just heat one cup of vinegar until it is hot and then soak the mug in the vinegar. For the best result, leave the mug in the warmed vinegar overnight. Alternatively, try making a paste with baking soda and water and apply this to the stains. You can also make a mix of baking soda and vinegar to remove the stains.

Once you have applied the paste or let your mug soak, it is time to give your mug a good scrub. Grab your scouring pad and scrub the inside of the mug to remove any remaining stubborn stains.

If you follow this process your mug will be sparkling clean and ready to use! Plus, you won’t have to worry about any nasty germs lurking in the bottom of your office mug.

At Wonder Maids, our Commercial Cleaning Team are dedicated to ensuring that everyone’s office environment is clean and healthy, so clean office mugs are a big part of that!

For more information about our Commercial Cleaning Services and how we can help your office stay germ-free, please get in touch.