So Gross I Had to Share it!

I try to keep my house reasonably clean, but for some reason my coffee pot always escapes my notice. I'll open my coffee filter and find that I left the used coffee grounds inside, which is usually accompanied by a little mold. If you are a person who always cleans their filter every time they use it, then you probably don't realize just how effective coffee grinds are for growing mold. If I ever decide to grow my own penicillian, I know exactly how to do it.

After running out of coffee filters, I haven't bothered to make coffee in probably two months. That means the filter from my last coffee making was left there to mold. When I finally pulled it out, I was shocked to discover a rainbow of mold had taken residence there. But the grossest, and yet oddly fascinating, part was this strange white mold that had the texture and smell of mushroom. It had completely filled the bottom of the filter bowl, and clung to the sides so tightly I could barely pull it out. Here's the final kicker: In that white mold, I discovered tiny, translucent inch-worms! GROSS! The filter - worms, mold, and all - quickly went into a sink of boiling water and bleach, where it will remain indefinitely.

What I don't understand is how the worms got in there. I understand that the air contains mold spores that are floating around looking for coffee grounds to latch onto, but could there possible be "larvae spores" floating around? Am I breathing larvae spores even as I type this? GROSS!

It's making me question my doubts about spontaneous generation.

You may be wondering if I am going to use that coffee maker again. Of course, it's a Gevalia!