On her Hygiene Doctor site, Dr Lisa Ackerly describes a survey carried out for the “Stop Washing Up” campaign to see what people got up to when they washed up. Key findings were:

• Water was too cold to kill bacteria -most families were using lukewarm water!
• Washing up bowls were contaminated with bacteria
• 95% of scourers and sponges were disgusting – some even had E. coli on them!
• 60% of tea towels were unsatisfactory – some also had E.coli on them
• People use their sinks for cleaning all sorts of items – from dog bowls to football boots!

In the webpage she gives advice on how to wash up hygienically: http://www.thehygienedoctor.co.uk/are-you-washing-up-in-a-bacterial-soup/