Just learned most people never wash their dish towels nearly enough

I read a study from the USDA that said 90% of kitchen dish towels have bacteria like E. coli on them after just one day of use. I was changing mine maybe once a week, which I thought was normal. Then I saw a food safety expert on YouTube recommend switching to a fresh towel at least every two days, more if you handle raw meat. I tested it for a month and my sponge even smells better now. Gross to think about how many times I dried my hands on something that nasty. Has anyone else looked into food safety stuff that changed how you clean?

2 comments

2 Comments

david_rivera414d ago

The first time I noticed a smell coming off my towels I realized I was probably overusing them too. I started keeping a pile of folded dish towels on the counter and just grab a new one every morning. That way I don't have to think about it, it's just part of my routine like making coffee. If you're worried about the laundry load, cotton bar towels dry fast so you can wash a big batch once a week and they'll be ready to go. Also a splash of vinegar in the wash cycle kills the bacteria without that leftover smell, just don't use too much or your kitchen will smell like a salad.

foster.charles15d ago

Used to just grab whichever towel was clean, didn't think about it. But yeah, now I swap towels every other day. No more lingering smells, that's for sure.