Kitchen towels and dishcloths should probably be changed more often than you think. Harmful bacteria can be transferred to a dishcloth when wiping unclean kitchen surfaces. The bacteria are then spread all over the kitchen when that same towel is used to wipe counters, the kitchen table, and the top of the stove.

Is it better to use a sponge or dishcloth?

Your dish rags are really no better than your sponges. And like sponges, using a dirty dish rag to clean a kitchen countertop will only spread germs. Your best bet is to replace rags about once a week. "Allow them to dry out between uses because most bacteria thrive only in moistness," Schachter says.

Are dishcloths unsanitary?

You use them to wash your knives, forks and plates, but experts have warned that dishcloths are dirtier than toilet handles. The cloths collect six times as much bacteria as the handles and harbour potentially life-threatening germs such as E. coli, according to a new study.