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Eight in 10 Brits have never cleaned their microwave

Photo credit: Maximkostenko/Getty
Photo credit: Maximkostenko/Getty

From Prima

Although there should be a focus on deep-cleaning at the moment, new research has revealed some of our top unhygienic habits in the kitchen – including not cleaning the mircowave, and using the same dish cloth for over two weeks at a time.

Oliver’s Kitchen surveyed more than 1,600 of its customers to find out how hygienic key kitchen appliances are such as the oven, microwave and fridge.

The research revealed that the least cleaned item in the kitchen was the microwave, with more than four-fifths (82%) of Brits admitting to never thoroughly cleaning it.


The oven was the next most neglected appliance, with two-thirds (68%) of respondents stating they haven’t deep cleaned their oven in a year.

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The research also discovered Brits’ least hygienic habits, such as not disinfecting the kitchen bin, overusing dish sponges and cloths and not cleaning the mop head after every use.

Photo credit: Halfpoint Images/Getty
Photo credit: Halfpoint Images/Getty

The five worst kitchen hygiene habits amongst Brits are:

1. Never cleaning the microwave thoroughly – 82% admitted to never cleaning their microwave appliance thoroughly

2. Not thoroughly cleaning a cutting board after raw meat has been used on it – 73% admitted to this

3. Not deep cleaning the oven regularly – 68% admitted they have not done this in the last year

4. Not cooling food quickly enough before storing it in the fridge – 63% stated they take food and place it straight in the fridge before cooling it

5. Failing to change their dishcloth/sponge regularly – 61% of Brits admitted to using the same one for longer than two weeks.

The survey also revealed that a 1 in 5 Brits do not wash their hands before cooking and a third (34%) also fail to clean the mop head after each use, which can result in harmful bacteria being spread around the kitchen and potentially the rest of the home.

In early 2020, the Food Standards Agency cited that there are an estimated 2.4 million cases of food poisoning occurring in the UK on an annual basis, with 380,000 annual cases of norovirus also being linked to food preparation and consumption in the UK.

Need help on how to clean with confidence? See our guide on how to deep clean your house.


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