A new study suggests that kitchen towels are teeming with bacteria that can cause food poisoning and other foodborne illnesses. Researchers at the University of Mauritius grew 100 multi-purpose tea towels after a month of use, without washing them. Gerba says you should wash your hands every time you reuse a cloth towel because they can contaminate your hands and start the whole cycle of cross-contamination all over again. What defeats the purpose of washing your hands if you dry them on a used cloth towel.
A new study discussed at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology may put a damper on your kitchen routine. Researchers found that tea towels are much dirtier than we think and can be a big culprit for spreading foodborne illness in our kitchens. Here's a look at the study and tips on how you can keep your kitchen clean and healthy. Tea towels are a necessity to maintain a sanitary space, whether it is to dry hands and dishes or to clean up spills on the countertop.
However, with all the dishwashing work, household chores and major kitchen tasks that these absorbent towels provide, they also serve as an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. Which means you'll find yourself washing tea towels more often to get rid of coarse germs. Hang them somewhere to let them dry overnight. A wet rag wrapped next to your faucet will turn into a bacteria factory overnight and have the smell to prove it.
Do you need kitchen linen to start? I have these 100% organic cotton tea towels, which have stood up to me very well. These non-organics are more affordable but they are still 100% cotton. In the house, towels are expected to work quite hard. Is it okay to wash towels with clothes? After all, towels dry the dishes, clean the counters, clean up spills and greet you when you get out of the shower.
All that moisture, along with increased exposure to germs, can turn towels into a hotbed of bacteria. This means that they require a little extra consideration when it comes to clothing. When you clean your kitchen countertops with that used rag that lives in the sink, you may be spreading bacteria around, also known as cross-contamination, even though you intend to clean. One of the study's leaders said the results suggest that unhygienic practices during non-vegetarian food handling could be common in the kitchen.
Research shows that one of the main causes of cross-contamination within the home is actually an object associated with cleaning, the kitchen towel. Kansas State University food safety specialists Jeannie Sneed and Randall Phebus will admit that, even with extensive education and experience in food safety, neither is perfect in the kitchen. While they are good for clothes, they can leave a film on kitchen towels, making them unhealthy for regular use. And there are variables that you've probably never thought about that can make your tea towels particularly full of germs.
Therefore, if you have a full house, be especially proactive by regularly washing kitchen towels with hot water and detergent. To ensure that the tea towels are well cleaned, it is best to wash them at the highest temperature suggested on the fabric care label. To minimize cross-contamination, use multiple tea towels and designate different towels for different tasks, such as drying your hands instead of wiping up spills. Let your kitchen be the place where you prepare the healthiest, most nutrient-rich foods so you can protect your immune system.
According to Gagliardi, for germ-infested kitchen and bathroom items such as mop heads, dishcloths and cleaning cloths, wash them as a separate load from regular laundry. With their own families, they understand how difficult it can be to prevent cross-contamination at home and have provided tips that they use in their own kitchens. Researchers set up a condominium on the K-State campus to reflect the atmosphere of a home kitchen and videotaped participants preparing a recipe with raw ground beef or chicken and a ready-to-eat fruit salad. .
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