Most people crack open an egg without giving it a second thought, but the question of whether you should wash an egg before using it is far more complicated than it seems. That smooth shell carries a story — one that begins the moment the egg is laid and ends in your kitchen. Some people feel the need to scrub every egg clean, believing it makes them safer. Others insist that washing is the wrong move. The truth lies somewhere between those instincts, and once you understand how an egg protects itself, the answer becomes clear.
When a hen lays an egg, it isn’t just a shell surrounding a yolk. It’s covered in a natural protective coating called the cuticle, or “bloom.” You can’t see it, and you might never know it exists unless someone told you, but that thin layer provides more protection than any rinse under the tap. The bloom seals tiny pores on the eggshell — the same pores that allow air to reach a developing chick. Without this seal, bacteria such as Salmonella have a direct path inside. Nature designed the bloom to keep danger out, preserving the egg long before humans developed their own safety methods.
As soon as you wash an unprocessed egg under running water, you risk stripping away that protective coating. Water doesn’t just clean the surface; it opens those microscopic pores. And once the bloom is removed, it can’t be restored. Bacteria from the shell, your hands, or your kitchen surfaces can then enter the egg more easily. Ironically, what feels like “cleaning” can actually make the egg less safe.
This is where things get tricky, because not all eggs are treated the same way. In the United States, Japan, and several other countries, commercial egg producers are legally required to wash and sanitize eggs before packaging. They use controlled temperatures, special detergents, and rapid drying systems designed to clean the shell without damaging it. After this process, the eggs must be refrigerated — from storage to transport to store shelves — because the bloom is gone and refrigeration prevents bacteria from multiplying.
In Europe, Australia, and much of the world, the opposite approach is standard. Commercial eggs are sold unwashed, allowing the cuticle to stay intact. With that natural protection in place, refrigeration isn’t required before sale. Once customers bring the eggs home, chilling is optional but recommended, and the bloom remains undisturbed until the moment the egg is used.
So the question — “Should you wash your eggs?” — depends entirely on what kind of eggs you’re dealing with.
If your eggs came from a store in a country where washing is mandatory, they’ve already been cleaned under controlled conditions. Washing them again at home doesn’t make them safer and may actually increase the risk by forcing water and bacteria through the pores. These eggs should go straight into the refrigerator and stay there until you’re ready to cook them. If one looks slightly dirty, gently wiping it with a dry or barely damp cloth is enough.
If the eggs came fresh from a farm, backyard coop, or local market where they’re sold unwashed, the rules change. The bloom is still in place, still sealing the shell, and still doing its job. For these eggs, washing should be avoided until right before use — if you wash them at all. A bit of dirt on the shell doesn’t make the inside unsafe. If an egg is heavily soiled, spot-cleaning it with a dry brush or lightly damp cloth is safer. Only in extreme cases should you fully wash it, and if you do, the egg should be used immediately because its natural defense has been removed.
A particularly dirty egg isn’t a prize. If it’s so contaminated that cleaning becomes difficult or risky, it’s better to throw it away. No egg is worth taking chances on.
Regardless of where your eggs come from, your handling matters. Wash your hands before and after touching eggs, keep your work surfaces clean, and don’t let cracked eggs sit out. Cooking eggs thoroughly destroys most harmful bacteria, which is why runny yolks can be risky if you don’t trust the source of the eggs.
Storage is another point people misunderstand. Refrigeration slows bacterial growth and keeps eggs fresher longer. Once you refrigerate an egg, it should stay refrigerated — taking it in and out causes condensation, which can carry bacteria through the shell.
If you buy washed eggs, keep them cold from the moment you get them home. If you buy unwashed eggs, they can stay at room temperature for a while, but once you refrigerate them, keep them there.
People often have strong opinions about washing eggs because the shell looks like something that needs sanitizing. But the shell isn’t the defense — the bloom is. Nature created the first line of protection long before we understood food safety. When we ignore that system, even with good intentions, we can make things worse.
The core idea is simple: not everything that looks dirty is dangerous, and not everything that looks clean is safe. Sometimes, the smartest and safest choice is to leave the egg exactly as it is until you’re ready to use it.
Understand the bloom, know where your eggs come from, and handle them thoughtfully. Your breakfast — and your peace of mind — will be better for it.