Naturally antibiotic, could wood be cleaner than plastic?

     Most people like the idea of wooden toys. Less chemicals, and a more environmentally sustainable material appeals to many. However, especially with baby toys many people feel that surely it can not be as clean as plastic toys.
    It seems a logical concern that because wood is more porous it would hold bacteria longer than a non-porous surface like plastic. This article (Click Here) shows a scientific study that was done to compare wooden cutting boards and plastic cutting boards used to cut bacteria filled raw meats.  Much to the initial surprise of the investigators, they discovered that wood possesses natural antibacterial properties. They found that when brand new, both wood and plastic both cleaned easily and effectively with  soap and water. However, with continued use they could no longer remove the bacteria from the surface of the plastic it would get caught in the tiny scratches and remain on the surface each time they tested for it even after cleaning . The surface of the wood however even with scratches, continued to come up free of bacteria. What little bacteria may have gotten caught was killed by naturally occuring antibacterial properties of the wood itself!!

   

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