Used kitchen tea towels could be putting your family at risk of food poisoning, new research suggests.
Towels used for multiple purposes such as cleaning utensils, wiping or drying surfaces or your hands were found to be an E.coli haven, scientists at the University of Mauritius have found.
The bacteria was also more likely to develop on damp towels and on towels in non-vegetarian households, The BBC reports.
One hundred towels were tested over the course of a month during the experiment.
Of those tested, 49 percent of the towels had bacteria growing on them.
Researchers say the E.coli presence could be due to bad hygiene practices and potentially lead to food poisoning.
The findings will be presented at the American Society for Microbiology in Atlanta, Georgia, this month.
Newshub.
