Community Chat

[petepetey]

Yes, you can call me a germ phobic...I know it's a weakness of mine.

However, this morning I treated myself to a starbucks latte. The customer in front of me ordered 2 beverages and handed the barista 2 reusable thermal mugs. Great for the environment, yes.

I watched as she made the drinks and then used the metal spoon to stir them in the mug and put it back in the wash container and continued to use it on other drinks. She also topped off the mug with froth and that spoon was touching the drink and that went back into the wash bucket. (don't tell me that wash bucket is sterile, but at least it shouldn't touch other peoples cups)

How do you know that those people ever wash out their thermal mugs? To be serving and making beverages in the public like that doesn't seem sanitary to me.

A solution might be to mix their drink in a different cup and pour it into their own mug.

[traveler]

Wouldn't making a drink in a paper cup that will be discarded afterwards, negate the purpose of a renewable cup?

[petepetey]

I was thinking the store could use a glass/metal mug just for the purpose of mixing that drink for the thermal mugs. They would just rinse it use it again and again.

[newziesuzie]

I don't think this makes the wash water any less clean than anything else and I agree using another cup negates the environmental reason to use reusable cups, Jmho tho.

[Still Raining]

Seen the rag they use to wipe off the milk foamer?

[lulu2]

On 3/20/2015 Still Raining said:

Seen the rag they use to wipe off the milk foamer?

I know

Any of the rags they use to wipe tables in eating establishments are beyond gross. Dare I say, I carring a pack of Lysol wipes in my purse?

[newziesuzie]

On 3/20/2015 Still Raining said:

Seen the rag they use to wipe off the milk foamer?

And I've heard some of the spigots the coffee or foam etc. come out of are not clean, swabs of them find all kinds of gross bacteria. I'm not germaphobe but when I think too much about it these things are yucky.

[millieshops]

If I really thought about what happens in public eating establishments, I'd never eat or drink out of my own house - although lots of times, I'm not even sure how sanitary I am. I try, but I wonder. Just not too much.

[Topaz Gem]

If you're a germaphobe you notice these things, but realistically, our bodies are designed to put up with common, every day bacteria. Many doctors theorize that we're beginning to live in a too-clean environment which is why so many food allergies are cropping up. I grew up in the time where everyone used phone booths, public drinking fountains, etc., and there were no antibacterial wipes. No one ever got sick and there were no kids in my town that had peanut allergies and other allergies that are common today.

Be clean, but within reason. A too-sterile environment will actually do harm to your body in the long run.

[VioletEyes]

Yes, I think you are on to something. Anyone with a compromised immune system has to be vigilant. I know this because yesterday I went to a new deli that was highly recommended to me and I was up all night with food poisoning.. I envy those that don't have these issues and could have eaten the exact same salad and been fine with it.