Reusing a tea towel or cloth for multiple purposes

Tea towels and cloths can be one of the top causes of cross-contamination in the kitchen, as bacteria persist on them(footnote 1). In the Kitchen Life 2 (KL2) study, these items were used for a wide variety of purposes in households and by food business operators (FBOs) – including mopping up spills, wiping surfaces, drying plates, wiping chopping boards, as well as wiping hands and faces. The reuse of tea towels and cloths for multiple purposes was observed on a fifth (210) of all meal occasions in households, and just under a third (87) of all meal occasions in FBOs. Overall, the influences on reusing a tea towel or cloth were very similar across households and FBOs. They were: the convenience and availability of tea towels and cloths, which were routinely carried or left around the kitchen for use when needed (physical opportunity). the habitual and unconscious nature of the behaviour (automatic motivation). These were reinforced by the following contextual factors(footnote 2): beliefs about the consequences of foodborne illness from reusing tea towels or cloth, which were seen as minimal. In addition, in FBOs, carrying a tea towel over the shoulder was seen as a key part of a chef’s identity (reflective motivation). the permissive social norms around reusing tea towels and cloths, which had greater influence in FBOs than in households (social opportunity).