Your kitchen, the place in the house you probably clean most often, is one of the most germ-laden. Your kitchen can harbor thousands of bacteria, including dangerous E. coli and staph bacteria.
Start with the kitchen sink and the faucet that delivers that good, clean water. The problem is, by the time the water passes through that little screen at the end of the faucet, it’s probably no longer clean.
First, the water is not purified, so any bacteria in it can “hang” on the screen. And since that screen stays moist, it can live and multiply there. Add to that the fact that things splatter when you’re rinsing dishes, and that screen probably has tiny food particles on it too. These particles also produce bacteria!
From time to time, remove that screen and soak it in a diluted bleach solution.
Now look down the drain and the garbage disposal. That rubber stopper, along with the regular stopper, is probably full of bacteria and germs that you can’t see! Put it in that bleach solution while you soak the faucet screen.
Now the sponge or rag you use to clean countertops and wash the sink. Unless you whiten it regularly, you are spreading germs and bacteria every time you wash your countertops. I’ve seen recommendations to microwave these items for a minute or so every day, but I’ve seen no evidence that doing so kills bacteria.
Why not use that same sponge or rag to wash your sink stopper? Better yet, keep extras on hand so you can grab a clean sponge or cloth and wash those items regularly, and use a little bleach in the washing machine.
Now look at the dish towel and hand towel that you can leave by the sink. Do you ever use them to wipe your fingers while cooking? Do you ever take one of them to clean up a spill? If so, that towel should go to the laundromat and be washed along with the sponges and kitchen rags, with a bit of bleach.
Even if you use your dish towel exclusively to dry clean dishes, you should still wash it a couple of times a week, using bleach.
We’re all trying to be more environmentally conscious by not using paper towels as much as we used to, but unless you can wash sponges, dish rags, and kitchen towels on a regular basis, a paper towel is a better option to protect your Health.
Along with the dangers of bacteria in the kitchen, you should also be on the lookout for mold. You probably know that mold spores can float through the air, contaminate your food, and even get into your lungs. Some people get quite sick from mold.
Check your refrigerator door seal, and then clean it thoroughly with a bleach solution. Those nice accordion folds that keep your door sealed tight are a prime spot for mold and bacteria to grow. Then look under your sink. If you’ve had any drips or spills, mold could be growing there as well.