Flush with pride, we are

17 September 2014 - 02:19 By Poppy Louw
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South African homes are cleaner than those in the UK, the US, India and Dubai, a new study has found.

Contamination levels were, however, highest among body sponges and kitchen cloths in local homes, with 85% of sponges or flannels in bathrooms and 75% of kitchen cloths or sponges failing microbiological tests.

According to the latest Dettol/ Lysol Hygiene Home Truths survey, conducted by the Global Hygiene Council, kitchen cloths and sponges fared the worst in all countries, and were rated as the most unhygienic household item.

Nearly 40% of kitchen cloths and sponges tested in the five countries were contaminated with E.coli, and 18% were contaminated with S. aureus, an organism that causes food poisoning.

Released in Johannesburg yesterday, the survey - which sampled 100 homes in 20 countries - found that South Africans spent more time cleaning their homes: 30% said they cleaned for more than eight hours a week.

South Africa had the highest number of spotless or satisfactory toilet flush handles alongside the US, with 85% of respondents saying they cleaned and disinfected their toilets at least daily.

The Global Hygiene Council's Dr Kgosi Letlape said the affordability of domestic workers in South Africa possibly contributed to the country's relatively clean kitchens and bathrooms.

"A domestic worker is a luxury in most countries. Some domestic workers here have domestic workers in their homes," he said.

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