To Foil Food Poisoning, Keep Your Kitchen Squeaky Clean
Food poisoning from restaurants and
packaged produce gets plenty of bad
press. But the bacteria and viruses that
trigger food poisoning also can thrive
in your kitchen. The usual culprits
are hands, cutting boards, counters,
and sponges.
It’s enough to make you sick—and, all too often, it does. Pregnant women and people with stressed immune systems face the highest risk.
To avoid food poisoning, follow these four tips:
- Wash your hands carefully with soap and warm water before preparing food and eating, and after touching a contaminant, such as raw meat, poultry, eggs, or fish. For a thorough wash, scrub your hands for 20 seconds. Rinse and dry with a paper towel, then use the towel to turn off the faucet.
- Regularly wash counters and other surfaces, such as cutting boards and refrigerator shelves. Use warm, soapy water. If a contaminant has touched these surfaces, disinfect them with a solution made from a tablespoon of unscented bleach in a gallon of water. Let the disinfectant stand for a few minutes before rinsing with clear water. Air dry or pat dry with paper towels. It’s best to use paper towels when cleaning, so you don’t spread germs around.
- Reserve one cutting board for fresh fruits and vegetables and another for cutting meat, poultry, and fish. Pitch a cutting board when it becomes worn or develops hard-to-clean grooves.
- Turn on your microwave, not your dishwasher, to disinfect sponges and scrubbers. A study recently published in the Journal of Environmental Health concluded that two minutes in a microwave at full power was enough to sterilize these items. But for safety’s sake, wet the sponge first.
