When a chicken lays an egg, a protective
coating (called the bloom or cuticle) is
also present on the surface of the
shell. Among other functions, the
bloom is thought to help prevent
bacteria from getting inside
the egg. The “life span” of the
bloom is thought to be a few days, so
if you eat your eggs within a few days,
you probably don’t want or need to clean
the outside of the egg. In fact, the risk of
incorrectly washing your eggs and drawing
bacteria into the egg probably outweighs the