Is there any truth in these 5 household myths?
5.11.2018
Translation: Eva Francis
Everyone knows these household myths, but should you believe them? I’ve picked out the most popular tips, tricks and rules and researched them to see if there’s any truth behind them.
We all have (at least) one mum. Even in modern times like today, we all come from somewhere. In other words, we were all brought up by someone who drummed various household myths into us. At the time, I never questioned them and took my mother’s wisdom at face value. Was I right to do so?
There must be order – even in the dishwasher
Let me start with a confession. I’m obsessed with things being tidy. That’s why I even bring order to the dishwasher by sorting plates into ascending order of size. All forks, spoons and knives have to go together. The same goes for cups and glasses. The reason being I heard cutlery and crockery get cleaned better when they’re in the right place. However, tests have shown that chaos yields cleaner results. Myth busted.
You can’t put metal in the microwave
«Listen, son. Whatever you do, never put metal containers in the microwave. Did you hear me? Never.» When my mum said this, she took away any excitement I had about using the microwave. Admittedly, I have her to thank for it today as it meant I learnt to cook for myself. I didn’t even dare put microwave-friendly glass containers in the microwave.
But here’s what I’ve discovered. There’s no problem as long as 1. you use aluminium and steel containers that are also often used as food packaging and 2. you fill them and keep them open according to the instructions. But be careful: utensils, tin foil and gold trim plates can’t go in the microwave otherwise sparks will fly.
Go plastic!
Wooden chopping boards have no place in the kitchen, according to my gran. She reckoned these germ factors were the source of all evil. Her theory was that only real chopping boards were made of plastic, as that kept the kitchen a bastion of hygiene.
I’m sorry to break it to you, gran, but nope, that’s wrong. Is it because you can wash them better? It sounds logical, but no, that’s not it. To date there haven’t been any studies that show plastic chopping boards are less prone to germs than their wooden counterparts. Quite the opposite: wood actually has natural antibacterial properties. In your face, plastic.
Crease-free
Before I was allowed to leave the house, I always had to make my bed. I’m an astute kind of guy, so I worked out it was best to make the bed as soon as I got up. Out of sight, out of mind and all that. Often, my mum would even give me a pat on the back. But I’ve since discovered I was doing it all wrong.
That’s because if you make a bed right after you get up, it helps keep any dust mites alive. In the morning it’s important to shake out the duvet and the pillows and let them air for a few minutes. The best thing to do is to lay the duvet over the edge of bed once you’ve shaken it. You certainly don’t want to pull it up over the mattress straight away – unless you like mites, that is.
Teflon makes you ill
You have to dispose of all scratched Teflon pans or else you’ll automatically absorb cancerogenic substances from your food. Yeah, OK, mum. But unfortunately, and fortunately, that’s not the case. Even if you did ingest Teflon particles, the human body can’t digest them and so it would just excrete them.
Cooking with these kinds of pans only becomes harmful for your health when you heat the Teflon above 350℃. This is when you risk those poisonous fumes and compounds that can cause fever and make you shiver or feel faint. The thing is, you’re unlikely to get Teflon fever, as your dinner would be charred long before the pan got hot enough to let off those fumes.
Header image: Challenging household myths: Does a scratched Teflon pan really make you ill?
Raphael Knecht
Senior Editor
raphael.knecht@digitecgalaxus.chWhen I'm not stuffing my face with sweets, you'll catch me running around in the gym hall. I’m a passionate floorball player and coach. On rainy days, I tinker with my homebuilt PCs, robots or other gadgets. Music is always my trusted companion. I also enjoy tackling hilly terrain on my road bike and criss-crossing the country on my cross-country skis.
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