Clean Coffee Cups

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Ivan the Butcher

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A friend of mine is now a retired oncology nurse, but before that he was a Navy Corpman. During part of his training, he was stationed at the hospital attached to Parris Island & Camp Lejeune. One night a random Chief told him to clean up the ward. As he was winding down, he spotted a filthy coffee cup. So, he scrubbed it until it shined like new.

When his chief returned from a meeting, he was heard to be screaming, Who the ____ cleaned my ___ing coffee cup? One of the surgeons that was passing by said "Don't kill him Chief, he's a good kid deep down." That's when my friend "Proper Coffee Cup Etiquette." He shortly thereafter got transferred to a Marine combat unit for Desert Storm.

Ivan
 
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Call me a heretic. I hate dirty cups.

To me, it’s like taking a fork out of the drawer and seeing yesterdays dried scrambled eggs on the tines. Or, taking a glass out of the cupboard only to see it covered in greasy fingerprints.

In my household, dishes are properly washed.

Don’t understand taking pride in unsanitary habits.
 
Navy Chiefs and their coffee. I was working graveyard shift at a glass factory and was about to go home in the morning. We were installing another glass oven and contractors were starting their day.
As I watched, one of the electrical contractors who was gonna be working on a scissor lift came over and put his tools on the lift. Then he grabbed some scrap cardboard and some tape and proceeded to spend 5 minutes constructing a cup holder which he taped to the lift railing. He then went upstairs into the breakroom and made himself a fresh cup of coffee.
When he got in the lift and started to go up, I yelled, "Must be a Navy Chief!" He turned to me and smiled, then asked how I knew. "They're the only ones who love their coffee that much." He didn't seem to like it. He frowned and turned back to his work.
 
"AI Overview

How Often Should You Wash Your Office Coffee Mug? Never ...

An unwashed coffee cup can harbor a significant number of bacteria, with studies showing that a high percentage of mugs are contaminated with germs of various types, including those linked to colds, flu, and even diarrhea. The number of bacteria can vary greatly depending on factors like how often the cup is used, who else might use it, and how it's cleaned.

Here's a more detailed look:

Contamination is common:
Studies have found that a large proportion of coffee mugs, even those used only by one person, are contaminated with bacteria.

Potential for illness:
Some of these bacteria can be harmful, potentially leading to illness, especially if someone is immunocompromised.

Source of contamination:
Bacteria can be transferred to the cup from hands, other surfaces, and even from residual liquids left in the cup.

Regular washing is key:
Washing the cup with hot, soapy water after each use, and drying it properly, can help minimize the risk of bacterial contamination.

Shared mugs pose a higher risk:
If a cup is shared with others, the risk of contamination increases, especially if proper cleaning procedures are not followed."
 
When I was on 3rd Shift there was a donut shop on the other side of the city where the owner was a big fan of the police.

He would be closed, but inside making donuts, early in the morning and those that worked on that side of town would stop in for a visit.

You could get donuts fresh off the fryer for no charge and if you wanted milk it would cost a quarter. And of course he had plenty of coffee if you wanted.

I rarely went because of it being a ways away from my territory which was a pretty busy part of the city. But every now and then I would take a meal break and stop in. It was so rare that Floyd didn't really know me and I would just get what I wanted, chat with other officers and leave.

My first time there I felt bad about not paying for what he was providing. I know it sounds funny but I would buy the soda at the convenience store in the bottle to avoid not being able to pay for the one out of the soda machine. Always figured these folks were in business to make money.

So i get my donuts and milk and ask how much. I get told that you don't pay here, followed by a sharp tongue lashing for the question.

So before I leave I see this old coffee mug up on top of one of the machines that was dirty and looked like it hadn't been used in years. I slip a couple dollars in it and leave.

The area SGT called me later and told me I shouldn't go back there again anytime soon as Floyd had pulled down his coffee to take a big drink and was none to happy about the dollar bills floating in the cup.

I stayed away for a while.
 
It remains a strange personality quirk to me.

Not exclusively but frequently associated with Navy or military history.

Wonder if the nastiness of your coffee mug is symbolic of seniority and experience?
 
fordson said:
The more “Salty” the Chief, the moldier the coffee cup……..a smart JO learns to respect a good CPO …. And leave his coffee cup alone……
Click to expand...

Yep, it’s definitely a Navy thing! I did my mess crank duty in the Chief’s quarters and was instructed that the cups are just rinsed out with water and set down on a towel. Never, ever send them over to the scullery!
 
It must be a Navy "thing". My old hunting buddy (Umpy), an old WWII/Pacific Navy vet, always brought HIS old coffee cup with him when we went on our hunting trips. During these trips I did all of the cooking, cleaning and straightening up. Umpy was like an adopted father to me so I didn't mind taking care of him. On one of our deer hunting trips to KY, I had already filled one of my tags so I slept in while Umpy went out for the morning hunt. After my breakfast I proceeded to straighten up the camper. This included washing our breakfast dishes, the coffee pot and I saw his old coffee stained cup on the counter so I scrubbed all the old coffee stains out of it. I was happy to clean the nasty old thing up for him.
When Umpy got back to the trailer near noon, the first thing he reached for was his old coffee cup and to say he was upset would be a tremendous understatement. Umpy accused me of washing all the flavor out of his cup and he pouted the rest of the day. I was told in no uncertain terms that I was to never do anything to his cup other than RINSE it out.
 
When I went to my 1st duty station , NAS Whidbey Is , Wa , I reported to the sheet metal shop . The gunny didn't know what to do with me so he told me to clean up . So I picked up , swept and mopped . Then I saw the percolator , yes many years ago , and some coffee cups . Thinking I was doing a good thing I took it all out and scrubbed the h*** out of them . The gunny came back and went unglued . I told him I didn't know , I don't even drink coffee . I was never asked to clean up again , at least by that gunny .
 
mckenney99 said:
It must be a Navy "thing". My old hunting buddy (Umpy), an old WWII/Pacific Navy vet, always brought HIS old coffee cup with him when we went on our hunting trips. During these trips I did all of the cooking, cleaning and straightening up. Umpy was like an adopted father to me so I didn't mind taking care of him. On one of our deer hunting trips to KY, I had already filled one of my tags so I slept in while Umpy went out for the morning hunt. After my breakfast I proceeded to straighten up the camper. This included washing our breakfast dishes, the coffee pot and I saw his old coffee stained cup on the counter so I scrubbed all the old coffee stains out of it. I was happy to clean the nasty old thing up for him.
When Umpy got back to the trailer near noon, the first thing he reached for was his old coffee cup and to say he was upset would be a tremendous understatement. Umpy accused me of washing all the flavor out of his cup and he pouted the rest of the day. I was told in no uncertain terms that I was to never do anything to his cup other than RINSE it out.
Click to expand...

You don't wash coffee pots either
 
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