The Insider Explains why you should NOT wash chicken before cooking

Contrary to what you might assume, giving your poultry a thorough wash in the sink can actually up your chances of getting sick.

“By washing raw chicken in the sink, you are likely to spread the bacteria all over your kitchen, including clean surfaces like countertops, through splashing and dripping,” Eric Sieden, director of nutrition and food services for Glen Cove, Plainview, and Syosset Hospitals told Reader’s Digest.

Sieden also emphasized that the only way to truly kill bacteria on raw chicken is to cook it.