Workplace Wellness and Breakroom Hygiene: Why It Matters

When winter arrives, workplace wellness takes on new urgency. Cold and flu season means more germs circulating indoors, and shared spaces become especially important to manage.

While cleaning protocols, hand hygiene, and air quality often get the most attention, one area is frequently overlooked: breakroom supplies. From coffee mugs to utensils, everyday items can quietly contribute to the spread of bacteria—unless they’re managed thoughtfully.

Why Breakroom Hygiene Matters More in Winter

Breakrooms are among the most commonly shared spaces in any facility. Employees may not think twice about grabbing a mug, stirring coffee, or rinsing dishes quickly before returning them to the cupboard.

The challenge is consistency. Reusable mugs and utensils rely on proper washing habits, clean sponges, and adequate drying—all of which can vary widely from person to person.

Studies have shown that nearly 90% of office coffee mugs contain bacteria, often due to improper washing or contaminated dish sponges. In some cases, harmful bacteria persist even when mugs appear clean. During cold and flu season, these shared items can become an easy pathway for cross-contamination.

A Brief History Lesson: Why Disposables Exist

Concerns about shared drinkware aren’t new.

Since the late 1800s, people were drinking water from a bucket, fountain, or wagon, with a shared cup that they passed around from person to person. It was a great, healthier alternative to liquor or beer, but a (now obvious) way to quickly spread germs.

By the early 1900s, more Americans were starting to learn about germs and the spread of disease, and Lawrence Luellen, a Boston lawyer and inventor, was concerned about the clear health hazards from the communal water cup. In 1907, he invented the first single-use paper cup, the Health Kup, which later became the Dixie^® Cup as we know it today!

In 1918, as the Spanish influenza swept the globe, disposable cups became the standard to prevent the spread of germs and were officially here to stay.

The disposable cup wasn’t invented for convenience. It was created to solve a hygiene problem.

More than a century later, the same principle still applies: limiting shared contact points reduces the risk of spreading germs.

How Disposable Breakroom Supplies Improve Hygiene

Single-use foodservice disposables offer a simple, effective way to improve breakroom hygiene without adding extra steps for employees or facilities teams.

Unlike reusable items, disposables are used once and discarded. This eliminates the need for shared washing, drying, and storage—areas where bacteria often linger.

By design, disposable breakroom supplies:

Breakroom Solutions That Support Your Workplace Wellness Strategy

Today’s workplace wellness plans are about prevention, not reaction. Alongside surface cleaning, hand hygiene, and air quality management, breakroom hygiene plays an important supporting role.

Incorporating single-use foodservice products into your winter wellness approach can help:

Reduce Shared Touchpoints in Common Areas

Support Healthier Employee Habits

Simplify Maintenance for Facilities Teams

Maintain Cleanliness During Peak Seasonal Illness Period

It’s a small change that can make a meaningful difference.