You may not believe which are the dirtiest things in the kitchen! Some of them can be cleaned, but some you’ll just have to throw away!
If you think your entryway or bathroom is the dirtiest room in your house, you’re wrong. Usually, the dirtiest things are in your kitchen, no matter how often you clean there. Why is it that important to know which are the dirtiest things in the kitchen? You might ask. And we’re here to answer: because that way you’ll know you should clean those things more often, with more attention or even special substances. You should also consider if it’s time to replace some of them.
5 of the dirtiest things in the kitchen
1. Dishwashing sponge
This is not one of the dirtiest things in the kitchen, but the dirtiest THING in the kitchen. Because the dishwashing sponge is the worst of all, it’s number one, the king, the diva of the dirtiness. The washing sponge collects so many germs that you should change it once or twice a week.
According to a new study reported by The New York Times, there is no way to sanitize it. So, throw it in the trash and get a new one more often!
2. Kitchen dish towels
Your hand towel is not dirtier than your kitchen dish towels. One of the reasons is you probably change the hand towels more often than the kitchen ones. Instead of cleaning your kitchen counters by wiping them down with a kitchen towel, you’re probably just spreading the bacteria.
Even if it sounds like too much, you should use a different dish towel every day of the week. Then, at the end of the week, wash them at high temperature and add a small amount of bleach to the water or machine.
3. Salt and pepper shakers
Let’s be honest, how often do you wash your salt and pepper shakers? I’m lucky that they sometimes slip out of my hands and they break. Otherwise, I don’t remember the last time I washed them. Salt and pepper shakers are some of the dirtiest things in the kitchen because they are among the most touched objects in the kitchen.
Before filling them up again, put them in your dishwasher or wash them in high-temperature water. Don’t just hand wash them. Hot water must get to a temperature of 140 degrees F in order to sterilize them. Also, in between washing them, clean their outside with antibacterial wipes.
4. Kitchen handles
Oh, besides salt and pepper shakers, the kitchen handles are also very often touched. The refrigerator, dishwasher, cabinets, and pantry door handles are among the dirtiest things in the kitchen too. So, while you’re waiting for your food to cook, clean the handles with disinfecting wipes. Also, buy a sanitizer and use it once a week, it’s not very time-consuming!
5. Cutting board
Not only hand washing the cutting board doesn’t clean much of it, but you might contaminate other things too if you’re not sterilizing it. Why is that? Well, after cutting up chicken or any other meat, you risk contaminating any food item that touches that surface.
Wood has a surface that’s difficult to clean, especially since you can’t wash it in the dishwasher. High-heat temperatures and bleach can ruin a wood cutting board.
It’s better to use wood for cutting veggies. For meat, use plastic cutting boards. To clean plastic cutting boards, just throw them in the dishwasher. For wood, use quaternary ammonium sanitizer.
