Could your tea towel make you sick?

Did you know simple household items such as tea towels can make you sick? You and others are at risk of developing unpleasant illnesses such as food poisoning, diarrhoea, stomach pain, and even meningitis if you use the same tea towel over and over again. Tea towels that are used repeatedly without being cleaned can harbour some nasty bacteria such as E.coli. The bacteria that causes meningitis, staphylococcus Aureus, can also be found on tea towels.

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In a scientific study, 100 tea towels were used over and over again for a whole month without washing. In the study, more than one third of tea towels had coliform bacteria. This is the same family of bacteria as E.coli. Keep your kitchen clean and orderly to prevent cross-contamination. This will keep everyone happy and healthy, whether it is at work or home.

The number of people who used the tea towel had an impact on the microbes that were found. The microbial load was also affected by whether or not meat had been prepared nearby, the way the tea towels were used and if they were left damp or allowed to dry in between uses. There are ways to reduce the risk of getting sick from your tea towel.

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Let a tea towel completely dry between uses. If you need new Integrated Tumble Dryers to help achieve this, go to Wellington who supply washers and Integrated Tumble Dryers. It’s not always easy to do this as the primary purpose of a tea towel is to dry. They will get naturally damp. E.coli was more common on towels that were damp. Then, wring them out completely and hang them somewhere warm and sunny to dry.