Heed This Warning! Keep Your Kitchen Clean: How Often Should You Change Your Kitchen Sponge, Cloth, and Towel?
Frequent kitchen sponge replacement frequency
Turns out, your kitchen sponges, cloths, and towels might just be germ hubs, yikes! To keep germs at bay and avoid falling ill, hygiene gurus advise that we switch things up more frequently than we'd rather. But let's face it, we're all guilty of being a tad slipshod.
So, have you swapped out your kitchen sponge, cloth, or towel lately? If you're struggling to remember, take that as a sign you're overdue. In the worst-case scenario, that negligence could boomerang, with harmful bacteria thriving in damp fabrics, warns the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). Regular changers steer clear of tummy troubles caused by those germy germs. Their advice: swap out sponges or kitchen towels as often as possible, aiming for at least once a week.
However, more often than not, these kitchen textiles linger on heaters or hooks for extended periods as per a YouGov survey. The survey polled 2,673 folks from Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, and France.
13% Change the Sponge Less Than Monthly
The kitchen sponge, unfortunately, receives the most neglect. More than half of us only change it less than once a week: 26% every two to three weeks, 16% once a month, and 13% on rare occasions. Luckily, 2% of of us apparently follow the "New day, new sponge" credo, changing it on the daily, with 12% opting for a fresh sponge several times a week.
With the kitchen cloth, however, we're slightly more diligent: 10% even swap it every day. 36% go for several times a week, while 32% have a fresh one weekly. Only 17% change it less frequently.
A similar pattern emerges with the kitchen towel. 38% change it once or several times a week, with 9% even changing it daily. Only 14% change the dish towel less than once a week.
Regardless of the textile, post-use, avoid leaving them crumpled. Instead, drape or hang them to dry thoroughly. Used cloths should be washed at least at 60 degrees as per BfR recommendations.
Want to know more? Check out our posts on common hygiene mistakes and how to avoid bacteria spread!
Sources
- ntv.de
- awi/dpa
Keywords
- Germs
- Kitchen Sponge
- Kitchen Cloth
- Dish Towel
- ** Consumers**
- Hygiene
- Consumer Centers
- Coronaviruses
- The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) warns that neglecting to change kitchen sponges, cloths, and towels frequently can lead to harmful bacteria thriving, potentially causing illness.
- In a survey, it was found that 13% of people change their kitchen sponge less than monthly, with more than half only switching it less than once a week.
- The kitchen cloth and kitchen towel received slightly more attention, with 17% and 14% respectively changing them less frequently.
- To prevent the spread of bacteria, post-use kitchen textiles should be draped or hung to dry thoroughly and washed at least at 60 degrees as recommended by the BfR.
- Regularly changing kitchen textiles, such as sponges or kitchen towels, can help steer clear of tummy troubles caused by germs.
- For more information on hygiene practices and how to avoid bacteria spread, check out our posts on common hygiene mistakes.