Doctors warn a new viral “sink drink” trend on TikTok could spread potentially deadly bacteria E. coli and Salmonella.
TikTok bartenders are going viral for mixing up alcoholic beverages in kitchen sinks and even bathroom sinks.
In one TikTok video with over 55 million views, influencer @realtipsybartender demonstrates how to mix up his signature “Jungle Juice” drink — vodka, Hawaiian Punch, lemonade, pink lemonade, and citrus punch — in his kitchen sink.
@realtipsybartender Kitchen Sink Jungle Juice #tipsybartender #tiktokpartner #tiktoktaughtme #wine #vodka #tequila #gin #everything #drink #cocktail #bartender #fruits ? original sound – tipsybartender
“The kitchen sink is normally considered one of the riskiest places in the kitchen as it’s the place we deposit cooked and uncooked food waste, and wash our hands in after touching raw meats and other spillages,” Dr. Gareth Nye, a Program Lead for Medical Science, told UK kitchen fitter Magnet Kitchens, per Dextero.
He explained that the sink is an ideal breeding ground for E. coli and Salmonella. “Ultimately, you are using your kitchen sink to get rid of things and you are likely facing millions of bacteria in and around the sink and plug hole.”
One microbiologist said a toilet seat is cleaner than the kitchen sink.
“In most cases, it’s safer to make a salad on a toilet seat than it is to make one on a cutting board,” Arizona microbiologist Dr. Charles Gerba (aka Dr. Germ) told Food & Wine magazine. “People disinfect their toilet seats all the time, but they don’t realize that they really need to pay attention in the kitchen, too.”
He said most of the bacteria is lurking inside the drain, feeding on leftover food scraps.
“Bacteria feed on the food that people put down the drain and what’s left on dishes in the sink,” he said. “That’s probably why dogs drink out of the toilet — because there’s less E. coli in it.”
