Kitchen towels can harbour dangerous bacteria — experts say they should be washed every day

Kitchen towels are a fixture of daily life — used to dry hands, soak up spills and wipe surfaces while cooking. But microbiologists warn that when they’re neglected, these same towels can become prolific breeding grounds for harmful microbes.

Microbiologist Jason Tetro points out that repeated use of a towel to clean counters and remove food residues creates ideal conditions for dangerous pathogens to settle and multiply. Among the microbes he highlights are Escherichia coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter — bacteria commonly implicated in severe foodborne illness.

Professor Brian Hedlund of the University of Nevada explains that the underlying problem is practical: constant moisture combined with tiny food particles produces an environment where millions of organisms can rapidly grow. A crumb or smear left on a towel effectively becomes a meal for bacteria, especially if the fabric stays damp and is stored in a dark drawer.

Because most households reuse the same towel for multiple tasks — drying hands, mopping up a spilled drink or quickly wiping a cutting board — experts say the safest approach is simple and strict: change and wash kitchen towels frequently, ideally every day. The one exception is a towel reserved solely for freshly washed hands.

Practical rules to disinfect kitchen towels

• Wash in hot water: Launder towels separately and use very hot water.
• Use effective cleaners: Choose a strong detergent and, when possible, add bleach or a laundry disinfectant to destroy bacteria.
• Dry thoroughly with heat: After washing, dry towels at high temperature in a tumble dryer or press them with a steam iron.

Hedlund notes that only the combination of high heat, a potent detergent and oxidizing agents reliably removes microbes; washing in cold water without chemical additives can leave resilient bacteria untouched.

Photo: peksels