Even if you regularly clean your kitchen, there may be certain items in this area that you’re not cleaning or sanitizing enough. Once you know how dirty these items are, you will start thinking twice about how often you use them and your cleaning methods. You may even be encouraged to simply replace these items and double up on your sanitizing efforts.
Tureks Plumbing Services shares the five dirtiest things in your kitchen and tips on how to clean and keep them hygienic and safe for daily use:
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Coffeemaker
The first on this list is something that you may not clean often: your coffee maker. Although coffee makers look clean even if you just wipe them now and then, don’t be fooled. Bacteria love dark, confined spaces and your coffee maker is the perfect place for them to grow and multiply.
To keep your coffee maker hygienic and safe for brewing your cup of joe every day, clean it every week. Fill the reservoir with a mixture of half white vinegar and water and turn it on until the post is half full. Stop brewing for 30 minutes then turn it on again to finish the brewing process. When done, empty the pots and fill the reservoir with clean water and brew again.
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Dish towels
Dish towels are some of the dirtiest things not just in the kitchen, but in your whole house. Whether you use them for wiping your hands or cleaning your kitchen counters, you are constantly getting and spreading germs.
To avoid spreading germs whenever you use your dish towels, change them every day. Launder used dish towels once a week with hot water and with a small amount of bleach.
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Sponges
Sponges are reservoirs for different types of bacteria as well. According to health experts, using old sponges can lead to food-borne diseases.
It is therefore important that you clean your sponges properly after use. Put the sponges in a dishwasher with a drying cycle. You can also disinfect them by soaking them in a solution of one-quarter to one-half of a teaspoon of concentrated bleach per quart of warm water for one minute. If your sponge starts to smell, throw and replace it immediately.
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Cutting boards
If you’re using only one cutting board at home, you’re already doing something really unhygienic in the kitchen. Every kitchen should have at least two cutting boards — one for meats and the other for fruits and vegetables. If you’re just using just one for these food items, you’re causing cross-contamination which can make you sick.
To keep your cutting boards safe for use, always wash them properly with good dishwashing solution and water after. Also, spray the cutting board you use for cutting raw meat with a bleach solution after using it.
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Garbage Disposals
Lastly, there can be no doubt that your garbage disposal contains various types of bacteria. As such, make sure you clean it regularly.
Use a long-handled brush and chlorine-based disinfectant when cleaning it. Scrub the walls of the disposal and don’t forget the area beneath the rubber guard. When done, allow it to sit for at least an hour so that the disinfectant can kill any surrounding bacteria. After each use, a seasoned Appleton plumber recommends placing a few ice cubes in it to clear the blades of any leftover muck that may be stuck to them.
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