This week we are going with more of a health theme than our normal remodeling and kitchen troubleshooting. Our last post focused on keeping your refrigerator healthy, and today we’ll give you a few more tips, this time relating to prepping food on your sinks and countertops.
- Wash all produce. You may not think you need to wash things like cantaloups and pineapples because you peel the skin off, but harmful bacteria can easily be transferred from the knife to the fruit. Wash all produce with cold water and preferably with light scrubbing to wash off pesticides.
- Keep sponges clean. This might seem like an oxymoron, as the whole purpose of your sponges is to wipe dirt off things. It’s easy, however, for you actually to be griming things up with invisible bacteria. Once a week, throw your sponge in the microwave for a minute or run it through the dishwasher. Also clean immediately if wiping up raw meats.
- Never leave food out. Simple rule of thumb: throw out anything perishable that has been out for two or more hours.
- Wash your hands after food preparation. Especially chicken. 90% of adults claim to do this, but only 50% actually do so properly. It’s recommended you wash with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food.