Are Your Tea Towels Making You Sick? Here's How To Tell (And How To Prevent It)

Jul 11, 2018 by apost team

Nearly everyone is afraid of getting food poisoning, but few take steps good enough steps to prevent it. There are a couple sneaky ways that bacteria causing food poisoning can sneak its way around your kitchen, one of which is your tea towels. Tea towels, also called dish towels, are used to wipe off hands or dishes but can be a huge cause of food borne illness.

One study found that about 37% of tea towels are covered with germs called enterococcus bacteria, which is responsible for some scary infections. An additional 14% of these tea towels were covered in another bacteria called staphylococcus bacteria. Yuck! But it gets even worse. A shocking 37% of tea towels were discovered to have E. coli bacteria, which thrives on these damp towels and can spread to food if used to wipe down dishes or countertops.

apost.com

The amount of bacteria on dish towels depends on things like how much meat the family eats and how big your family is. The more bacteria was found in households with big families, those that eat a lot of meat, and those of a lower economic background.

They suggest to instead use disposable wipes to wipe down counters and clean up. This prevents any bacteria from transferring to tea towels. 

However, if you're concerned about the environment, other reccomendations include washing your tea towels regularly at high temperatures, and letting them dry fully between each use.

Do you have any tips and tricks for keeping your kitchen clean? Spread the word so your friends and family can ensure that their kitchen towels aren't hurting their health! 

Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation with your doctor. Your health is important to us!