Are Your Kitchen Towels Buggy?

Wash, Dry, Rinse, Repeat, and Often

A potential danger lurking in kitchens could put us at risk for food poisoning. Household kitchen towels can expose people to dangerous pathogens, including E. coli and Staphylococcus. Towels destined for multiple purposes, such as drying hands and wiping utensils, were found to have higher bacterial count than single-use towels. Moreover, towels in kitchens where more family members gather and meat is prepared were also more likely to be infested with greater numbers of microbes.

It comes down to multiple-use towels increasing the chance of cross- contamination. Reusable kitchens cloths should be changed and laundered frequently and should ideally be designated for single purpose. For example, have one towel for cleaning work surfaces and another for drying pots. Also, make sure kitchen towels dry throughly between uses, since moist towels are a breeding ground for bacteria.