A study at the University of Arizona suggests that kitchen sponge is the dirtiest item in the average household. Experts found it 200,000 times dirtier than a toilet seat, which is believed to be the dirtiest item in a house. A bacterium called campylobacter was also found in the kitchen sponge and dishcloth which may cause guillain-barre syndrome (paralysis).
The research on how diseases are transferred through the environment looked at swabbing household items, measuring bacteria and how it develops. The faecal bacteria such as E. coli and staphylococcus aureus were studied. It was found that there were about 10 million bacteria per square inch on a sponge, and a million on a dishcloth.
Actual contact with faeces makes kitchen sponge develop bacteria, which usually comes through raw meat products or the viscera from meat.
The study experts suggest that people should be more concerned about other household items to maintain hygiene.
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