# Do you drink directly from a carton and then put it back in the fridge? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 3, 2024, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-drink-directly-from-a-carton-and-then-put-it-back-in-the-fridge/1005192 "2024-08-03T15:34:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2024, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-drink-directly-from-a-carton-and-then-put-it-back-in-the-fridge/1005192/1 "2024-08-03T15:34:37Z")
If so you are a disgusting sub-human. That is all. Well, okay, you get a sort of pass if you live alone. And maaaaybe if you’re the only one in the household who ever actually drinks papaya-raspberry juice. Just make sure your window shades are closed before you do it. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2024, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-drink-directly-from-a-carton-and-then-put-it-back-in-the-fridge/1005192/2 "2024-08-03T15:50:43Z")
I have literally never seen anyone do this outside of a Sunny Delight commercial. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2024, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-drink-directly-from-a-carton-and-then-put-it-back-in-the-fridge/1005192/3 "2024-08-03T15:52:32Z")
I am a disgusting sub-human indeed. Although I generally still use a cup. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2024, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-drink-directly-from-a-carton-and-then-put-it-back-in-the-fridge/1005192/4 "2024-08-03T15:59:26Z")
I vowed to never do this ever since I saw it described as stereotypically male behavior in _Politically Correct Bedtime Stories_. ---
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2024, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-drink-directly-from-a-carton-and-then-put-it-back-in-the-fridge/1005192/5 "2024-08-03T16:04:00Z")
It’s the only way I ever drink milk (although plastic bottle, not carton). I do live alone. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2024, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-drink-directly-from-a-carton-and-then-put-it-back-in-the-fridge/1005192/6 "2024-08-03T16:14:46Z")
I used to, but I generally don’t have cartons of anything these days. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2024, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-drink-directly-from-a-carton-and-then-put-it-back-in-the-fridge/1005192/7 "2024-08-03T16:15:07Z")
This might be the only stereotypically male behavior I do. And I do live alone. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2024, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-drink-directly-from-a-carton-and-then-put-it-back-in-the-fridge/1005192/8 "2024-08-03T16:38:35Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > Well, okay, you get a sort of pass if you live alone. I wouldn’t do it even if I lived alone. I mean, wouldn’t some of the germs in my mouth get into the milk, and might it go bad faster because of that? ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2024, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-drink-directly-from-a-carton-and-then-put-it-back-in-the-fridge/1005192/9 "2024-08-03T16:44:09Z")
No, never. It’s just gross, whether I do it or someone else does it. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2024, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-drink-directly-from-a-carton-and-then-put-it-back-in-the-fridge/1005192/10 "2024-08-03T16:49:53Z")
Nope. But that’s because there is nothing in there for me. I don’t do sugared drinks and can’t drink milk without bad things happening. My wife will take a swig of lemonade (lemon-flavored sugar water) out of the jug, but I don’t care since I don’t drink it. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2024, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-drink-directly-from-a-carton-and-then-put-it-back-in-the-fridge/1005192/11 "2024-08-03T16:57:16Z")
You’re not wrong. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2024, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-drink-directly-from-a-carton-and-then-put-it-back-in-the-fridge/1005192/12 "2024-08-03T16:59:32Z")
No. Ick. Plus those jugs are way too large for me to drink out of without spillage. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2024, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-drink-directly-from-a-carton-and-then-put-it-back-in-the-fridge/1005192/13 "2024-08-03T17:05:03Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > No, never. It’s just gross, whether I do it or someone else does it. Especially not Selina Kyle! ![](https://media1.tenor.com/m/snxERvujh0wAAAAC/michelle-pfeiffer-milk.gif "Michelle Pfeiffer Milk GIF - Michelle Pfeiffer Milk - Discover & Share GIFs") ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2024, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-drink-directly-from-a-carton-and-then-put-it-back-in-the-fridge/1005192/14 "2024-08-03T17:39:20Z")
I would only drink out of the carton if nobody else would ever drink it. When I buy eggnog (seasonally) I will drink from the carton because my gf doesn’t appreciate the taste. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2024, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-drink-directly-from-a-carton-and-then-put-it-back-in-the-fridge/1005192/15 "2024-08-03T17:50:14Z")
I would only drink out of the carton if i was completely finishing whatever was in it. I’d be concerned it would spoil after contact with the germs in my mouth. And i can’t recall ever seeing anyone do this with a large carton that is going back in the fridge. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2024, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-drink-directly-from-a-carton-and-then-put-it-back-in-the-fridge/1005192/16 "2024-08-03T17:59:27Z")
Yeah, I do it. I don’t live alone, but most of my drinks are mine. But there is the occasional exception, and while I try to remember to use a cup, I sometimes forget. I don’t worry about the germs in my own drinks. Most drinks don’t spoil as long as they are refrigerated. The exceptions are the milks, but I’ve not noticed any difference in spoilage time depending on whether I drank out of them or just used them for cereal. It’s a couple weeks (after opening) for rice milk, and around a month for almond milk. Do note that the other person living here doesn’t really seem to care. They’ll drink after me to taste something, too. If they did, I would be more attentive at least to the occasional common drink. I think drinking after people bothers me more than it bothers them, actually. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2024, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-drink-directly-from-a-carton-and-then-put-it-back-in-the-fridge/1005192/17 "2024-08-03T18:07:18Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Most drinks don’t spoil as long as they are refrigerated. The exceptions are the milks I don’t drink cow milk. My gf drinks skim cow milk. We usually have soy, almond, and coconut milk in the fridge. My gf uses them for smoothies, and I use them for cooking. I’ve been drinking alternative milks for as long as they’ve been available, yet I’ve never experienced milk that’s gone bad. Does it happen? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2024, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-drink-directly-from-a-carton-and-then-put-it-back-in-the-fridge/1005192/18 "2024-08-03T18:43:38Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I’ve been drinking alternative milks for as long as they’ve been available, yet I’ve never experienced milk that’s gone bad. > > Does it happen? ⁢ I gave my times for rice milk and almond milk. I never drank out of them back when I ate cereal every day. It was in fact seeing them go bad that led me to drinking some of the milk to keep it from going to waste. Both will go sour and clobber up. Rice milk gets very thick, like a pudding. Almond milk is thinner when it first clobbers, and has a period before clobbering where it tastes bad but looks and smells fine. I’ve not had oat milk long enough to see what happens, as I got it due to it being the only dairy-free nog. I did previously drink soymilk, but it’s been a very long time. It’s too fatty for my current digestive system. I never drank coconut milk, for the same reason–though oddly coconut milk “ice cream” is lower in fat than the alternatives. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2024, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-drink-directly-from-a-carton-and-then-put-it-back-in-the-fridge/1005192/19 "2024-08-03T18:52:50Z")
I’m the only one in my household that drinks lactose-free milk. So I’ll occasionally do this, if nobody else is around. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2024, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-drink-directly-from-a-carton-and-then-put-it-back-in-the-fridge/1005192/20 "2024-08-03T19:00:30Z")
No, I don’t, nor do I put a spoon that has been in my mouth into a container of food that will be refrigerated for future use. I find that the milk or food spoil much quicker if I contaminate it with germs from my mouth. That is, unless I’m going to finish it off. > [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > I wouldn’t do it even if I lived alone. I mean, wouldn’t some of the germs in my mouth get into the milk, and might it go bad faster because of that? > [@puzzlegal](#): > > I would only drink out of the carton if i was completely finishing whatever was in it. I’d be concerned it would spoil after contact with the germs in my mouth. Exactly. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-drink-directly-from-a-carton-and-then-put-it-back-in-the-fridge/1005192.md?page=2)