Would you be shocked to hear that some places in your kitchen are just as germy as a toilet (or even more so)? While this knowledge can be disturbing, it can also be empowering. After all, once you know about the problem, you can take steps to prevent it from happening on your watch. So, without further ado, here are the top three dirtiest places in your kitchen.
1. The Sink
The kitchen sink often has more germs in it than a flushed toilet bowl. That’s because the sink is the collect-all for kitchen slop. It’s also where you rinse off your cuts of meat and your cutting boards. Even if thoroughly rinse everything out of your sink as soon as it goes in, some of those germs cling to the surface of your sink and don’t readily go down the drain.
The solution to this nightmare-inducing problem is to make sure you wash your sink frequently with hot, soapy water. This is especially important to do after preparing poultry and meat. At the end of each day, give your sink a good wipe-down with disinfectant kitchen wipes. Be sure to follow the instructions on the back to make sure you disinfect properly.
2. The Kitchen Sponge
That kitchen sponge you use every day is like a petri dish for bacteria. It collects everything from salmonella to e-coli. There’s no doubt that it’s convenient to use the same sponge to wipe down your dishes, countertops and sink every day. But a little convenience is not worth your health and safety.
Instead of using a bacterial-laden sponge, opt for single-use wipes or clean washcloths that you can toss in the washing machine after each use. You can also use paper towels to clean up minor spills. If you can’t bear the thought of tossing your favorite sponge, at least microwave it (when it’s fully wet!) for a couple of minutes every day to disinfect it.
3. The Cutting Board
You wouldn’t cut your food on the surface of a cow patty, would you? Of course not! But many household cutting boards are just as germy. Many are practically crawling with campylobacter, salmonella and coliform bacteria.
To minimize germs, reserve your wooden cutting boards for cutting produce and use a plastic cutting board for meat. Wooden cutting boards tend to be more porous than plastic cutting boards. After each use, wash your cutting boards thoroughly with hot, soapy water and dry them thoroughly.
These are just three of the many areas in your kitchen that may be loaded with germs right now. Fortunately, you now have the knowledge to tackle those germs like a boss. Time to get cleaning!
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