Key Takeaways
You ’ve probably understand that your kitchen may be the dirtiest elbow room in your home . That should n’t be any big surprise . You practice it for food for thought cookery , and where there ’s food , there ’s bacterium . Food does n’t have to be rotten to become a procreation ground for bacteria , either . Refrigerated items that have been provide at room temperature for more than two hour can become a spread for microscopical encroacher and still look and smell safe to wipe out . The same goes for that blot of leftover mayo on your countertop .
But there ’s spate of cause for concern . Upwards of 76 million cases of food - related illness are reported across the U.S. every year . That ’s from all effort , but it ’s still a huge figure . Maintaining a clean kitchen and handling food carefully are a couple of ways you’re able to help keep your family safe . Those locations in your kitchen that come in lineal contact with food should get the most attention . surface like yourkitchen countertopsand cesspit should be cleaned every time you practice them . On the next pages , we ’ll take a look at five way you may keep your countertops sparkling – and free of harmful bacterium .
5: Clean Spills Immediately
That perverse gravy dribble on your countertop front harmless , but the longer it mill around , the more dangerous it will become . A quick swipe with a newspaper towel is n’t really going to take care of the job if you wait a while to do the honors . Even warm water and soap wo n’t do the trick completely , although it will help . One enigma to keep bacteria in deterrent is to eliminate spill as soon as they pass off . That way bacterium wo n’t get constitute in the first lieu .
There ’s a primal conflict between scavenge and disinfecting surfaces . cleanup removes dirt , grime , grease and some bacteria . Disinfecting kills bacteria on contact . If you let food residue dwell on your countertop , you probably have more bacteria around than a simple cleaning swipe will tackle . Do n’t go there . Clean spills immediately and you ’ll have less disinfect to do on a regular groundwork . If you ’ve ever had ant in your kitchen , you know the drill . Get rid of the pathfinder and you wo n’t have an ant invasion .
4: Disinfect Your Sponges
You mayclean your countertopsusing a dish fabric , report towel or sponge . If your method reuses the same clean aids again and again , they can become potential facts of life farm for bacteria , molds and yeasts . leech have the worst report , but kitchen dishrags come in close secondly .
You do n’t have to stop using these ready to hand and often monetary value - effective aids . Just check that to houseclean them after every enjoyment , dry out them good between use of goods and services and replace them every couple of week . Your good option for cleaning sponges is to atomize them in the microwave . Microwaving sponges kills 99.9 percent of bacteria . Just wet the sponge and nuke it for two and a half minutes . The quick study will be hot , so allow it cool down down a couple of minutes before you use it . Get in the use of tossing dishcloth in the dishwasher or washing machine every time you scavenge . you may also sanitize sponges and dishrags using disinfectant or a whitener solution we ’ll get to in just a instant .
3: Have Cleaning Aids Handy
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) recommend warm , soapy water toclean countertopsand other kitchen surfaces before and after nutrient preparation . This is a cleaning and not a disinfecting measure , though . filthy germs like salmonella , E. coli and staph can live on surfaces for hour and even day , and sometimes , disinfecting surfaces is a better choice than just clean them . To undertake disinfect line of work like cleaning up surface area where raw heart has been prepared , the CDC commend using a disinfectant preparation design for use on countertop or a weak bleach solution you’re able to prepare yourself .
Bleach is a time honored and pretty cost effective DIY approach to disinfect the surfaces in your kitchen . Here ’s a agile fusee on disinfecting with bleach : Clean countertops with fond soapy water and then go over them again with a solution of 1/4 cup family bleach ( 5 to 6 per centum ) and 2 1/4 cups water . give up treated aerofoil to tune dry .
If you decide to practice a disposed germicide , read and follow the directions cautiously . Most need a clean water rinsing to take out chemical residues after covering to food for thought preparation areas . Special note : antimicrobic should never be sprayed on or near grocery .
2: Keep Countertops and Other Kitchen Surfaces Dry
bacterium , mold and fungus like to grow in moist environment . Keeping your countertops dry will help make them less appealing to bug that can make your phratry mad . clean house your countertopsregularly , but take the extra care of drying them with a clean cloth after a soap and pee wash . Between cleanings , wipe down areas on your countertop and around your sink where steam settles or condensation accumulates .
1: Consider an Organic Approach
For some folk , the idea of using harsh chemical substance to clean house the kitchen just does n’t make sense . chemical can be toxic when not used properly . They can also be high-risk for the environment . They ’re expensive , too . In the lawsuit of bleach , even though it may be considered rude , it ’s still a strong chemical substance . When combined with ammonia ( accidentally , of course ) , bleach grow a poisonous gas . Actually , just the fumes from undiluted bleach can cause respiratory problems . That ’s not even adopt into account the damage bleaching agent can do to clothes , carpeting and other fabric .
If you ’d like to try a germicide that ’s a little more planet- and drug user - friendly than blanching agent ( or many disinfectant product on the market ) , Susan Sumner , the writer of Green Housekeeping , has a suggestion . Disinfect your countertop and other kitchen surfaces with a one - two poke ofvinegarand hydrogen peroxide . Alone , these raw ingredients are good at killing germs . Together , they ’re super effective . This is a two - part process :
