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health advisory Hospital Diseases 2007-11-12 20:38:32

of NOT washing a teaspoon after stirring milky tea - day after day. I have a work colleague who seems to think it is acceptable to place said spoon on draining board - with clean items so that everything becomes sticky!! and drips on to draining board...

Interested if anyone knows the true implications - however remote.

My voiced concerns have been ignored!

Answer:

As this has been happening day after day, and no one has become ill, it is probably okay now. At the start, it was growing bacteria, but now that everyone is aclimated to this bacteria, there would probably only be danger to a new employee.

Now a suggestion. A glass of cold water with some ice in it would minimize any problems. Any possibility of bacteria would be much lower. I must say however, that leaving the teaspoon as is would be preferable to the colleague licking it and putting it back, don't you think?

True implications? There is not much danger of disease being spread if no ones mouth goes near that teaspoon. The amount of bacteria built up from some tea, milk and sugar is so minimal as to be inconsequential. The tea had none, the sugar had none, and the milk has been diluted by the tea, and so has little. That said, it is always possible for bacteria to reproduce this way.

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funny tasting tea the next time its used!!!

tell them not to be so lazy and to wash it.

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how about this: get a bag of cheap plastic spoons and put some in a cup by the coffee area. Hopefully she will use these and throw them away when done.