Experts issue warning about microwaves as new study reveals how dirty they are

Ever wonder how dirty your microwave is? Well, you might want to pull out your Marigolds.

A new study has revealed that 747 different types of bacteria were found when researchers swabbed 30 microwaves in offices, laboratories and homes. Thats a lot of bacteria.

The home microwaves contained mostly Staphylococcus, which is a type of bacteria which can cause infection.

And before you ask if heat would kill the bacteria, it's not that simple. It's worth noting that microwaves heat food unevenly, meaning not all bacteria is blitzed.

Do you know how many germs are in your microwave? (Credit: Getty)

Then, there's the fact your food is probably splattering about in there.

Ahmed Yousef, a professor of food microbiology at The Ohio State University, told Food & Wine that when these foods end up in crevices of the microwave they shouldn't the bacteria can also fester, because not all parts of the microwave receive heat in the same way.

There's intricacies surrounding what food you microwave, too.

"The drier the food, the less likely to be heated by microwave energy," the expert explained. "Even popcorn has some water inside the kernels. Without that water, it would not pop in the microwave oven."

This means dry food particles are particularly stubborn, and the drier they get, the harder it is to get rid of them, even if you're using your microwave regularly.

Give that microwave a clean (Credit: Getty)

So, is there any risk to having a dirty microwave? The answer is... somewhat.

"Certainly, if a microorganism is sitting inside the oven cavity of a microwave, it’s very unlikely to be able to jump from there to get into food," Donald Schaffner, a microbial risk assessment and cross contamination expert at Rutgers University, added to the publication.

The issue comes if you plonk your food straight down on the turntable of your microwave, even if it's had a wipe recently.

Of course, it's best to clean your microwave every time you use it to avoid any lingering bacteria.

Let's face it, we're all guilty of skipping this errand sometimes, but maybe after hearing these stats, we'll think again.

Sure, a dirty microwave isn't the end of the world, but a little soap and hot water after every use would get rid of lingering splatters which might be hanging out in there.

And let's face it, we'd all rather our food is surrounded by as few germs as possible, wouldn't we?

Featured image: Getty