\n<\/p>\n
T<\/span>he communal kitchen is the beating heart of a houseshare. In the sitcom Friends, it\u2019s where Monica gets a turkey stuck on her head; in New Girl, it\u2019s where Nick repeatedly fixes the kitchen sink whenever he\u2019s \u201cgoing through stuff\u201d. It\u2019s the natural place for drunken deep and meaningful chats, first kisses and epic fallouts. It\u2019s also where many people discover how truly disgusting having housemates can be. It can often feel like you\u2019re taking your health into your own hands when you cook in a shared kitchen.<\/p>\n It\u2019s something the rising number of seasoned house-sharers among us know too well. While the exact number of house-sharers in the UK is hard to quantify precisely, Spare Room report the number of people in the UK looking to rent via the flat-sharing platform has tripled between 2013 and 2023, and further reports indicate 11.5% of house sharers are over 40. It\u2019s also something this year\u2019s fresher students who are opting to live in university halls are about to find out.<\/p>\n \u201cShared living is a real melting pot of practices and habits and people exposing each other to risks in different ways \u2013 usually in a space with little ventilation,\u201d says Dr David Megson, a reader in chemistry and environmental forensics at Manchester Metropolitan University.<\/p>\n <\/span>Friends for life?<\/span> Photograph: Posed by models; Maskot\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Dr Alison Cottell, a microbiologist lecturing at the University of Surrey, agrees that life in a shared kitchen is about weighing up the risks. \u201cBacteria are everywhere, and it\u2019s normal to come into contact with them every day, but you want to avoid spreading anything high-risk.\u201d<\/p>\n Having lived in four university house shares and eight professional house shares, I\u2019ve seen a real spectrum of kitchen crimes committed. But how worried should you be about someone else\u2019s disgusting habits? Are they simply annoying, or could they make you unwell? The chemist and the microbiologist give their verdicts.<\/p>\n <\/span>It\u2019s unsightly \u2013 but is it dangerous?<\/span> Photograph: Willowpix\/Getty Images\/iStockphoto<\/p>\n Yes, burning food creates acrylamide, although it is unlikely to cause cancer, as you would need to consume a large amount. \u201cThe black colour on burnt food isn\u2019t the specific toxic substance,\u201d says Megson, \u201cbut it is a location where toxic chemicals can be created during the burning process. So scraping the burnt bit in the bin and eating the unburnt bit is my advice.\u201d He has a vivid memory of a housemate scraping a non-stick pan with a metal fork. \u201cI found it painful even then and I didn\u2019t know much about the world of forever chemicals.\u201d<\/p>\n Using a metal utensil scrapes off the top layer of Pfas, the chemicals used to make the non-stick coating on a pan, he explains, meaning you end up eating them. Studies have linked these \u201cforever chemicals\u201d, which are almost impossible to break down, to infertility and cancer, as well as other diseases. \u201cUsing the pan at too high a temperature is also going to release some of those chemicals,\u201d he says. While most non-stick pans come with a warning not to heat them above 250C or 300C, this is hard to monitor. \u201cIf something\u2019s burnt to the bottom of the pan, don\u2019t scrape it off with your fork. Let it soak it and wash it up gently,\u201d is Megson\u2019s advice.<\/p>\n You could try purchasing wooden utensils and advising your housemates to use the non-stick pan on the smaller ring on the hob \u2013 or, like Megson and I, you could get a pan of your own, take care of it, and keep it in your allotted cupboard.<\/p>\n <\/span>Do not wash chicken under the tap.<\/span> Photograph: Kinga Krzeminska\/Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a whole pig on the kitchen table and chunks of it being cured on a rack in the fridge.\u201d A text I\u2019ll never forget and hopefully one I\u2019ll never receive again. A housemate, getting experimental in the kitchen, was butchering a pig and massaging it with salt in order to dry cure it himself.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re likely to end up with a really stinky kitchen,\u201d says Cottell, who explains that, as well as the bacteria that will grow if it\u2019s not properly cured (the salt is meant to dry the meat out, so bacteria can\u2019t survive), there might be pathogens (disease-causing organisms) that multiply on raw meat and make you ill if you eat them. If you see flies around it, it\u2019s a problem. They\u2019ll carry these germs to other surfaces and foods.<\/p>\n If you have a housemate who\u2019s into fermenting vegetables, it\u2019s fungi you\u2019ve got to watch out for, says Cottell. \u201cWhen done correctly, fermenting creates an acidic environment in which many bacterial pathogens cannot grow. Fungi, however, can reproduce in acidic conditions. While they\u2019re unlikely to infect a person when ingested, they may produce toxins that can cause illness if they\u2019re consumed.\u201d<\/p>\n Handling meat is one of Cottell\u2019s main concerns in a shared kitchen setting. \u201cThe Food Standards Agency undertook a study on food-hygiene practices two years ago,\u201d she says, \u201cand found that twice the number of students were not adhering to health recommendations such as those around handling meats, compared with the rest of the population. Students were found to be more likely to engage in risky practices like washing raw chicken under the tap or not storing meat properly\u201d \u2013 that is, on the bottom shelf of the fridge in an airtight container. Chicken can harbour campylobacter and salmonella, and washing it sprays bacteria over large areas.<\/p>\n The advice? Don\u2019t rinse chicken under the tap. Cook meat thoroughly. Use different chopping boards for raw meat and ready-to-eat food. And, if you are going to attempt to cure meat, do your research, cover it properly and regularly wipe the surfaces.<\/p>\n <\/span>Musty smell? It might be the bacteria in damp clothing.<\/span> Photograph: Anastasiia Krivenok\/Getty Images<\/p>\n It smells distinctly musty, but is dirty laundry actually harmful? \u201cDirty clothes left for days in a laundry basket are unsavoury, but there aren\u2019t many direct foodborne health risks here,\u201d says Cottell. That\u2019s the case even if the basket is in the kitchen.<\/p>\n What you can smell is bacteria trapped in the damp fibres. \u201cBacteria aren\u2019t going to leap out on to your surfaces or into your food,\u201d she reassures. \u201cIn the unlikely event that soiled clothing comes directly into contact with something you\u2019re about to eat, that could cause contamination, which might cause a very short-lived sickness.\u201d If someone musty-smelling is cooking for you, ask them to roll up their sleeves.<\/p>\n <\/span>Washing up may be tedious but is also essential.<\/span> Photograph: Olga Rolenko\/Getty Images<\/p>\n The plates might be growing mould, even attracting flies \u2013 and, when the washing up is finally tackled, it\u2019s not always particularly thorough.<\/p>\n \u201cHealth risks associated with leaving unwashed crockery on worktops or to soak in the sink really depend on what the items have been used for. A plate on which raw meat has been defrosted and then left in a sink of warm dishwater poses a significantly higher risk than one that has been used for a piece of toast,\u201d notes Cottell. That\u2019s because of the bacteria on raw meat that cause illness.<\/p>\n And the plate with rotting food on the side? \u201cThe bacteria that cause food to rot create horrible smells and make the food unpalatable,\u201d she says. \u201cSuch bacteria do not usually cause infections, but may produce waste products as they break down the food they are growing on. It\u2019s these waste products that can cause someone to feel ill if they eat them.\u201d So don\u2019t be tempted to finish off your housemate\u2019s mouldy pizza.<\/p>\n Keep an eye on how well dishcloths are being rinsed, too. \u201cThey are renowned for harbouring large numbers of bacteria,\u201d says Cottell. \u201cIf you have wiped an area where you\u2019ve prepared raw meat and then another area that you\u2019re going to eat from, or prepare ready-to-eat food on, you\u2019re contaminating it with potentially harmful bacteria.\u201d<\/p>\n Drying your dishcloths and teatowels well is key, she adds. \u201cThese bacteria can live in damp conditions for a couple of days, but they won\u2019t survive on a dry surface for long. Boil the cloths to kill off pathogens and use soap. Soap is crucial because it breaks down the fats and membranes in viruses and bacteria, which ensure they don\u2019t survive.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/span>Beware second-hand smoke and toxin-laden surfaces.<\/span> Photograph: Radu Bighian\/Getty Images<\/p>\n It\u2019s quite common now to sit opposite a housemate and watch them alternate between tokes on their blue-raspberry vape and forkfuls of their meal. It\u2019s a wild ride for their tastebuds \u2013 but does it also pose health risks for you?<\/p>\n \u201cWhen it comes to vapes, it\u2019s a complete lottery,\u201d says Megson. One study looked at 50 different vape brands and found 113 different chemicals across them. \u201cIt\u2019s a complete spectrum of the unknown. They\u2019re chemically complex mixtures and, when heated, there are going to be some potentially nasty compounds. Having it in that enclosed environment is far from ideal. If there was anyone vaping in my house, I\u2019d ask them to go ask outside in the same way I would if they were smoking a cigarette.\u201d<\/p>\n Even if your housemate vapes in their own room, it\u2019s not good for your health, as it contributes to air pollution in the house. Studies link second-hand vape exposure to shortness of breath and there are risks associated with third-hand vape exposure, too \u2013 when toxic chemicals from the vape accumulate on surfaces \u2013 because you might accidentally ingest them.<\/p>\n <\/span>Mice and microbes: you risk both if you don\u2019t clean up properly.<\/span> Photograph: Maskot\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Toast crumbs, blobs of baked-bean juice and a few stray peas are all common detritus on the surface of a shared kitchen. Aside from the fact you\u2019re putting on a dinner party for mice, moisture from things like bean juice allow harmful bacteria to live longer. And, as the food rots, it will create toxins that, if ingested, might cause illness. But, from a microbiologist\u2019s perspective, the main risk is contamination.<\/p>\n Cottell says: \u201cPathogens like norovirus and staphylococci can spread via food if people haven\u2019t washed their hands properly [when preparing it]. If you\u2019re not wiping the sides often and you\u2019re living with people who have poor hand hygiene, who don\u2019t wash them after going to the loo or blowing their nose, you\u2019re risking pathogens from the surface they touch contaminating food.\u201d<\/p>\n Keep the surfaces clean by wiping them with warm, soapy water before preparing your own meals. \u201cWhen you get bacteria like salmonella on a surface that\u2019s clean, it quickly dries out and won\u2019t usually be able to cause disease for long,\u201d says Cottell. \u201cBut drop it on a kitchen surface (microwave, fridge, oven or table) where there\u2019s lots of dirt, fat and oil residues, and pathogens survive much longer.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/span>Manufacturers don\u2019t have to list ingredients.<\/span> Photograph: George Mdivanian\/Alamy<\/p>\n A valiant attempt at domesticity that doesn\u2019t require doing any actual washing? There\u2019s always one housemate who burns incense 24\/7, or insists on a plug-in air freshener. \u201cIf I ever go to a hotel, the first thing I do is take the scented plug out,\u201d says Megson. \u201cBecause it\u2019s a chemical cocktail.\u201d<\/p>\n Ingredients in air fresheners don\u2019t have to be listed and many of them contain potentially harmful compounds, with some studies indicating that regular use can even affect heart health over time. \u201cIt might be nice to cover the unpleasant smells in a shared home, but it can really irritate people\u2019s respiratory and sensory systems. Candles incense, oud are the same. Anything you\u2019re lighting could contain and create some nasty chemicals,\u201d says Megson.<\/p>\n It won\u2019t smell as exotic as sandalwood and jasmine, but opening windows and staying on top of the cleaning is the best advice.<\/p>\n <\/span>You can keep your own shelf immaculate \u2013 but what about everyone else?<\/span> Photograph: Kilito Chan\/Getty Images<\/p>\n After moving into a house share, you\u2019ll usually be allotted a kitchen cupboard and shelf in the fridge all to yourself. Keep yours as clean as you like, but you can\u2019t escape the wrinkly peppers and furry yoghurts that lurk elsewhere in shared fridges.<\/p>\n Cottell admits the smell of rotting food is nauseating, but she\u2019s less concerned about the \u201cfood-spoiling bacteria\u201d that are creating these sulphurous odours because it means we\u2019re aware food has gone off and are therefore less inclined to eat it. \u201cI\u2019m more worried about the hidden bacteria that you can\u2019t taste or smell,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Leftover rice and pasta in the fridge is safe as long as it\u2019s eaten cold, but red flags arise if it\u2019s reheated, because of bacillus cereus. \u201cIt\u2019s a soil-borne microbe which is common in rice and, when reheated, can lead to a short but intense sickness bug.\u201d<\/p>\n But raw meat in the fridge is the biggest red flag of all. \u201cCampylobacter and salmonella are spread predominantly through poultry and cause nasty diarrhoeal diseases. Then there are many different strains of enteropathogenic E coli too, generally spread through meat that\u2019s not cooked properly.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s a problem in fridges if meat juice drips down on to ready-to-eat food. Ideally, you would store raw meat at the bottom of the fridge, but if you\u2019re allotted the middle shelf, that\u2019s tricky.<\/p>\n The solution? Keep your meat in a sealed container and ask your housemates to do the same. If they\u2019re not playing ball, fight your way to the top shelf.<\/p>\n How to Stay Sane in a House Share by Alice Wilkinson is out now (DK Red, \u00a314.99) and \u00a31.99 on Kindle throughout September. To support the Guardian and the Observer, order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The communal kitchen is the beating heart of a houseshare. In the sitcom Friends, it\u2019s where Monica gets a turkey stuck on her head; in New Girl, it\u2019s where Nick repeatedly fixes the kitchen sink whenever he\u2019s \u201cgoing through stuff\u201d. It\u2019s the natural place for drunken deep and meaningful chats, first kisses and epic fallouts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22979,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[670,5490,6085,14068,468,14066,14067,3128,14069,316,2640,6682],"class_list":{"0":"post-22978","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-social-issues","8":"tag-burning","9":"tag-clouds","10":"tag-homes","11":"tag-horrors","12":"tag-kitchen","13":"tag-mouldy","14":"tag-pans","15":"tag-plates","16":"tag-shared","17":"tag-smoke","18":"tag-survive","19":"tag-vape"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22978","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22978"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22978\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/22979"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22978"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22978"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22978"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Burning food on to the pan<\/h2>\n
Home-curing meat<\/h2>\n
Not doing the laundry<\/h2>\n
Leaving dirty dinner plates to soak \u2026 for a week<\/h2>\n
Vaping indoors<\/h2>\n
Forgetting to wipe countertops<\/h2>\n
Relying on air fresheners<\/h2>\n
Never clearing out the shared fridge<\/h2>\n