Bathroom the dirtiest place in your house? False. It is the kitchen that harbors the most bacteria than any other room in the house. From the sink to the cutting boards and refrigerator, the kitchen is teeming with billions of microorganisms.
The source of germs in the kitchen?
Kitchen sponges. It's used to soak up all kinds of germs and grime and then left soaked in a container overnight in the dark –that's a perfect environment for bacteria to grow. If that is not enough, wiping your counters or dishes with the dirty sponge will spread the bacteria over more surfaces. To eliminate it, pop it into the microwave or boil it for 2 minutes to eliminate the germs that lurk inside the crevices.
Refrigerator produce bin/drawer. The most likely risk of food poisoning comes from the refrigerators.
Research had been carried out using swab samples from top and middle shelves, meat/poultry drawers, veggie bins and bottom shelves and it was found that vegetable bins were the most contaminated locations, followed by bottom shelves and meat drawers.
Wash bin frequently with detergent mixed with warm water and sanitize it to prevent Listeria. Combine 1 teaspoon of unscented bleach to 1 quart of water; flood the surface with this solution and leave wet for 10 minutes, followed by rinsing with clean water. Leave it to dry.
Separate pre-washed and unwashed vegetables to avoid cross-contamination.
Kitchen Cutting board.
Used for cutting uncooked meat and vegetables, a chopping board contains bacteria and if not properly sanitized, can be the source of food poisoning. Use a separate board for meat and vegetables.
Many have thought that wood cutting board is less hygenic than the polymer ones. You might think that grooves cut into a wooden board by the knife harbored bacteria that would infect the next food that was cut.
Research studies showed that polymer board leaves more bacteria behind. Surprising? When cleaning with hot water and detergents, it was found to be more effective in removing bacteria for wood boards. Plastic unlike woods stays wet longer meaning longer bacterial survival and wood contains natural antibiotic agents that retard bacterial growth.
Can openers is the less known culprit, probably because people tend to forget about them and plop them back into drawers without cleaning or even rinsing them.
Post schedule...
Ref : Myth Busters: Germs In The House - Renotalk.com
