Debate Rages As To Whether You Should Wash Your Kitchen Tea Towels With The Rest Of Your Washing

A Professor has suggested it’s okay to mix them all up, but for some cultures, it’s considered disgusting. Professor of Food Safety and Microbiology at Massey University, Steve Flint, says it’s “something you shouldn’t worry about too much”. He told New Zealand’s Stuff.co.nz, “Nothing is ever sterile – all we are trying to do is reduce the risk of food safety issues”. Some cultures, including tangata whenua in New Zealand, however, find washing tea towels with your clothes unacceptable. The tikanga of separating clothes and kitchen linen is a customary practice found in most Marae and Māori homes today.