Drinking from reusable cups has many environmental benefits compared to paper cups. In addition to being the more ethical option, these cups are more affordable. Many businesses have started using reusable cups to serve coffee or tea.
But new research shows that drinking from reusable cups has some downsides as well.
How to Decrease the Risks of Infection
When you drink coffee or hot chocolate, there is always some discharge left on the bottom of your cup. Unfortunately, this is the perfect place for the formation of bacteria. Even when the cups get washed later, the bacteria remain.
This puts you at risk of catching a disease. Hence, you should take care when you are in a coffee shop. Metal cups are the most hygienic choice because they are easiest to clean.
Additionally, the timing is extremely important. After all, the longer the discharge stays in one place, the more time there is for bacteria to multiply. So if the staff at your coffee place tends to leave cups unwashed for hours, you may be in danger.
Keeping Your Own Cups Clean
What about your own kitchen?
When you have guests over, it’s important to wash cups as thoroughly as possible. Here are a few tips that could be useful.
- Don’t leave the cups unwashed for long. Clean the discharge out as soon as possible.
- Go for extremely hot water. Dishwashers are a great choice for this.
- Always use detergent. This also applies to using dishwashers.
A Final Word
If you have immunity issues, you may want to avoid reusable cups. After all, traditional paper cups don’t have this issue.
