# Would you bring a cup of coffee into the restroom at work? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 7, 2012, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-bring-a-cup-of-coffee-into-the-restroom-at-work/640263 "2012-11-07T19:04:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-bring-a-cup-of-coffee-into-the-restroom-at-work/640263/1 "2012-11-07T19:04:51Z")
I’ve noticed people at work bringing coffee (from a coffee shop, in a container with a lid) into the men’s restroom on a number of occasions. That idea just blows my mind. A couple of times, I’ve cheerily commented: “Enjoy your toilet coffee!” Is it just me, or is that weird? Is that something you would ever do? ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-bring-a-cup-of-coffee-into-the-restroom-at-work/640263/2 "2012-11-07T19:08:53Z")
No! Gag! This goes hand-in-hand with Anaamika’s concurrent thread about brushing teeth at work. Other people’s fecal matter floats through the air in there and doesn’t need to land on my toothbrush or the rim of my tea cup. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-bring-a-cup-of-coffee-into-the-restroom-at-work/640263/3 "2012-11-07T19:19:18Z")
Maybe they are working on something? Or dealing with a pressing matter? Coffee does have that effect on a lot of people. No, I would never bring anything that goes into my mouth into the toilet. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-bring-a-cup-of-coffee-into-the-restroom-at-work/640263/4 "2012-11-07T19:20:36Z")
if i’d stop at the coffee station with an open mug then i would keep it in hand when in the restroom. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-bring-a-cup-of-coffee-into-the-restroom-at-work/640263/5 "2012-11-07T19:21:07Z")
I voted “No, that’s weird and/or gross” solely because there was no “Sweet fucking Jebus no, that’s revolting” option. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-bring-a-cup-of-coffee-into-the-restroom-at-work/640263/6 "2012-11-07T19:21:57Z")
No, I don’t ever bring any food into the restroom. Even if I came back with food in my hand and have to pee desperately I stop by my desk first. I am considering starting to brush my teeth at work but I don’t intend to leave my toothbrush there. I can’t help the few molecules of poop that are floating around, though. I’d rather have cleam teeth than worry about that. ---
**Author:** ![Crab\_Rangoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Crab\_Rangoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crab_Rangoon)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-bring-a-cup-of-coffee-into-the-restroom-at-work/640263/7 "2012-11-07T19:22:48Z")
I guess I’ve got a high bar for gross - I go into the bathroom to use the sink so I can pour my coffee from my travel mug into my regular mug without spilling on the floor. Then I go out and nuke my coffee til it’s like napalm before I drink it. I like it hot, baby! Plus the floating fecal material adds…that certain…je-ne-sais-quois ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-bring-a-cup-of-coffee-into-the-restroom-at-work/640263/8 "2012-11-07T19:36:14Z")
I don’t bring liquids into the bathroom at my own house. A public restroom? HELL no. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-bring-a-cup-of-coffee-into-the-restroom-at-work/640263/9 "2012-11-07T19:37:35Z")
I wouldn’t have a problem with brushing my teeth in a public restroom (even though I don’t do it); in that case I’m spitting out germs, not consuming them! And from an illogical standpoint, I consider toothpaste to be bascially “self-cleaning”, like a bar of soap. But the coffee thing still baffles me. Note that we have a sink in our kitchen at work (which is right around the corner from the john), so it’s not a facilities issue. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-bring-a-cup-of-coffee-into-the-restroom-at-work/640263/10 "2012-11-07T19:47:17Z")
If I was hitting the loo on the way in from my car, say at the beginning of the day when I was just arriving, then yeah. Otherwise, I can’t think of a reason to deliberately bring my coffee along to the toilet. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-bring-a-cup-of-coffee-into-the-restroom-at-work/640263/11 "2012-11-07T19:59:06Z")
I voted “Sometimes” because I’m not sure what’s meant by the question. I’d bring a coffee with a lid into the bathroom if I need to do something non potty related in there, such as washing my hands. I probably wouldn’t bring it into a stall, though. It’s pretty moot though, since my office is not far from the restroom, I could always set it in there before going into floating poop land. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-bring-a-cup-of-coffee-into-the-restroom-at-work/640263/12 "2012-11-07T20:02:23Z")
When I worked in a professional office, the restrooms were typically quite clean, I’d have no problem setting a beverage down next to the sink, if I didn’t have access to a convenient non-bathroom shelf. Frankly, I’d expect that the “break room” with the microwave, moldering fridge food and dirty cups/dishes in the sink would be at least as microbially filthy as the bathroom, if not more. The bathroom gets cleaned every day, if not twice a day, which is more than I can say about the secretary’s desk. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-bring-a-cup-of-coffee-into-the-restroom-at-work/640263/13 "2012-11-07T20:07:02Z")
[Cecil speaks](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1317/does-flushing-the-toilet-cause-dirty-water-to-be-spewed-around-the-bathroom). ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-bring-a-cup-of-coffee-into-the-restroom-at-work/640263/14 "2012-11-07T20:21:16Z")
I’m completely okay with bringing my travel mug, or a cup from Starbucks with a lid on it, into a public restroom and leaving it on a shelf outside the stall for a minute while I do my thing. I’m not worried about the miniscule chance that bacteria will land on the sippy hole and kill me from the inside. There are worse bacteria on my keyboard and phone. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-bring-a-cup-of-coffee-into-the-restroom-at-work/640263/15 "2012-11-07T20:21:18Z")
I’d consider leaving a _covered_ cup in the entry section of the ladies room. (Where the “fainting couch” would have been in the old days.) And I brush my teeth in the ladies room. But this is the work facility & it’s pretty clean… ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-bring-a-cup-of-coffee-into-the-restroom-at-work/640263/16 "2012-11-07T20:26:08Z")
If, and only if, the cup has a lid, then I see no problem, though I would avoid doing it if I had a place to set it down first. Why worry about molecules landing in the coffee when you’re actually \*inhaling directly into your lungs \*far more than would ever get onto the lid? Do you put on a medical face mask before entering? Boy, that came out snarky for me! Not intended as snark! Well, not much. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-bring-a-cup-of-coffee-into-the-restroom-at-work/640263/17 "2012-11-07T20:28:38Z")
I’m not a terribly fussy person, but I never carry drinks or food into the bathroom. It’s gross on a couple of levels, and bathroom counters are not always completely clean of icky substances like soap, cosmetics, drain cleaner, etc. (I’d hope they are reasonably clear of organic ickies, but that, too.) ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-bring-a-cup-of-coffee-into-the-restroom-at-work/640263/18 "2012-11-07T20:37:00Z")
TBH, the office bathroom may even be cleaner than your home bathroom. I mean, sure, it’s many people’s poop particles, but it gets wiped down (presumably) every single day. I know our cleaning lady uses bleach products. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-bring-a-cup-of-coffee-into-the-restroom-at-work/640263/19 "2012-11-07T20:37:27Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > I don’t bring liquids into the bathroom at my own house. A public restroom? HELL no. ?? I have a coffeemaker _in_ my bathroom at my house. It is a large bathroom, true, and the potty is in its own separate little room, but what on earth is so gross about this? Hotels have coffeemakers and where are they? In the bathroom. Fecal matter _floating in the air_? WTH? That said, public restrooms are for get in/get out. I can’t see toting coffee in there and setting up shop. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-bring-a-cup-of-coffee-into-the-restroom-at-work/640263/20 "2012-11-07T20:39:00Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > ?? I have a coffeemaker _in_ my bathroom at my house. It is a large bathroom, true, and the potty is in its own separate little room, but what on earth is so gross about this? Hotels have coffeemakers and where are they? In the bathroom. Fecal matter _floating in the air_? WTH? > > That said, public restrooms are for get in/get out. I can’t see toting coffee in there and setting up shop. ??? Wow, no, hotels do not have their coffeemakers in the bathroom. What hotels do you go to? They are in the main room. Why, oh why, do you have a coffeemaker in your bathroom? Why not your kitchen? Perhaps you poo in the kitchen? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-bring-a-cup-of-coffee-into-the-restroom-at-work/640263.md?page=2)