Utilizing This Particular Item Empolesarly Distasts as the Optimal Choice for Kitchen Sanitization
The kitchen, often regarded as the home's core, is where we nourish our loved ones and guests by cooking meals. To avoid being the highlight on a crime show and maintain food safety, it's crucial to keep this space clean and hygienic, avoiding food poisoning. To aid you in achieving a germ-free kitchen, we've highlighted the worst cleaning tools to avoid while warning you against being featured on "America's Dirtiest Kitchens".
The #1 Worst Offender: Kitchen Sponge
Taking the title for the most unhygienic cleaning item in your kitchen is the trusted sponge you've been using all week. The National Science Foundation cautions that a kitchen sponge might be your home's dirtiest object due to its capacity to trap waste in its damp grooves, forming a fertile ground for bacterial growth, such as E. coli. Regrettably, each time you use this sponge to wipe down counters, appliance handles, and doorknobs, you are transferring up to eight million bacteria onto each surface. This cross-contamination leads to further bacterial spread on our hands and the food we prepare and consume.
Cleaning the sponge after each use will help, yet replacing it at least every two weeks is essential for ensuring a germ-free kitchen.
Closing in Second Place: Cotton Dishcloth
Those cherished lovingly crafted southern cotton dishcloths have sympathy written all over them. Alas, they share the same predicament as sponges, harboring bacteria that is easily spread across surfaces even when you're using a woven cloth purchased from a fancy shop. If you can't bear to part with your cotton dishcloths, be sure to buy or knit plenty so that you can wash them after each use. Additionally, maintain separate cleaning cloths for bathrooms and kitchens, and avoid using the same cloth on both floor messes and countertops.
Most Effective Alternative for Kitchen Cleaning
Instead, opt for microfiber dish and cleaning cloths. With their tiny, split fibers, microfiber cloths are more absorbent and effectively capture bacteria. They are durable, easy to wash, quick-drying, and can absorb four times more liquid than a cotton cloth of the same size. Furthermore, microfiber cloths have a positive charge that attracts negative dirt and grime, allowing you to clean surfaces without adding additional cleaning agents.
Other Misguided Choices in Cleaning Your Kitchen
Utilizing the Same Cleaner for All Surfaces
An all-purpose cleaner may sound like a practical option. You simply grab, spray, and wipe every kitchen surface. However, not every surface should be cleaned in the same manner. Some cleaners can lead to irreversible damage on surfaces like stainless steel, wood, marble, and other natural stones. Be sure to read labels and select appropriate cleaners for various materials before causing any irreversible damage.
This same warning applies to "natural" cleaners like distilled white vinegar. Though helpful in breaking down grease and acting as a mild disinfectant, vinegar can irreversibly damage unsealed granite and marble surfaces.
Overusing Cleaning Products
While a surplus of bubbles may bring you joy while cleaning, it is an unnecessary waste of money and could leave behind residue. This residue forms an unwelcome film that attracts grime, leads to conflicts with other cleaning products, and can make its way to your food.
Neglecting Sanitizing Products' Effectiveness
After applying a disinfectant, surfaces are obligated to remain wet for at least six minutes for optimal results. For the best outcomes, pre-clean surfaces to remove layers of dust and grime before applying a disinfectant.
Failure to Rinse Surfaces After Disinfecting
Again, it's crucial to read labels. Food-safe disinfecting cleaners do not necessitate rinsing following use. Yet, even diluted chlorinated bleach requires a rinse before it is safe for food preparation.
Abrasive Cleaning Pads on Delicate Surfaces
Scouring pads are a savior when it comes to removing burnt food from metal pans. However, they should not come into contact with non-stick cookware, stainless steel appliances, or glass stovetops. Excessively hard plastic or metal pads can result in surface damage, harboring bacteria and altering the performance of said surfaces.
Incorporating microfiber clothing into your cleaning routine can help maintain a clean and bacteria-free kitchen, as they are more absorbent and effective at capturing germs than cotton dishcloths. Interestingly, Southern Living magazine also offers a variety of lovely and functional cotton dishcloths, but it's essential to wash and replace them frequently to prevent the spread of bacteria.
After discovering that kitchen sponges might be your home's dirtiest object, Southern Living recommends using microfiber dishcloths instead, as they are more hygienic and effective at trapping bacteria. By following proper cleaning practices, such as replacing kitchen sponges every two weeks and using different cleaning cloths for different areas of the house, you can help ensure a clean and germ-free Home as featured in Southern Living.
