The humble kitchen dishcloth can harbour more harmful bacteria than a toilet, and can become a ‘breeding ground’ for harmful bacteria especially in the summer months
Our kitchen can be a hive of germs and bacteria with one essential cleaning item thought to be the worst culprit and to carry more bacteria than our toilets.
The humble dishcloth is thought to be the guilty kitchen item, as they don’t tend to get routinely washed compared to other items around the house, and are often left on the sink and forgotten about until they start to smell.. As it gets closer to summer and warmer weather that can make the kitchen a breeding ground for bacteria to multiply, with the dishcloth thought to be the worst offender.
A scientist and doctor has now warned that 90% of UK dishcloths are considered ‘contaminated’ and are thought to be worse than a toilet.
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Dr Gareth Nye, Programme Lead for Medical Science, alongside Magnet Trade has issued a new warning recommending that you shouldn’t use dishcloths as he explained: “90% of UK dishcloths were considered heavily contaminated with bacteria compared with 20% of toilet flush handles. The toilet fairs better than other kitchen areas such as the kitchen tap and worktop. Again according to recent studies, around 70% of UK dishcloths are infected with over one billion bacteria per 100cm2 area or around half a billion for your average sized dish cloth.”
Dr Gareth also identified seven types of harmful bacteria on dishcloths, which can cause a range of symptoms:
- E coli – diarrhoea, fever, abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomiting
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa – can lead to respiratory failure, shock, and death
- Salmonella – diarrhoea, fever, and stomach cramps
- Staphylococcus aureus – if allowed to enter the bloodstream can cause bloodstream infections, pneumonia, or bone and joint infections
- Enterobacter – urinary tract infections, respiratory infections
- Klebsiella – urinary tract infections, respiratory infections
- Bacillus subtilis – vomiting and diarrhoea
He continued: “All bacteria can cause very severe infections in patients who are very young or old, or have underlying health conditions which make them more prone to infections.”
The dishcloth, which often cleans up messes and is then left on the kitchen worktop, is thought to be one of the worst culprits for bacteria like these and depending on how damp it is it can be a breeding ground. “A moist dishcloth left in a warm kitchen provides an ideal environment for bacteria to multiply. This is particularly likely if food traces are present, too,” he warns.
Dr Gareth advises: “Recommendations are to not use them, but if you do, you should be washing thoroughly after each use and rinse with an anti-bacterial detergent every two days to kill harbouring germs. You should also change your dishcloth every few months. Ideally you should switch to anti-bacterial wipes to clean some surfaces, particularly after the preparation of raw meat or poultry which are known producers of harmful bacteria.”
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