Sometimes we are not aware that cleaning all corners of the house is at stake.
But among all of them, the kitchen is the key place in terms of hygiene. It is the room where the food is prepared and, at the same time, one of the places in the house where bacteria can grow best.
The taps, the fridge, the garbage… There are many spaces conducive to microorganisms in the kitchen.
But there are some places where germs grow especially well and which, paradoxically, are the ones we use to clean: kitchen towels, cloths and scourers.
89% of kitchen towels have coliform bacteria
One showed that coliform bacteria, which are indicators of water and food contamination, were present on 89% of kitchen towels in households.
And what is worse: in more than 25% of the cloths, the presence of E. coli, a bacteria that indicates fecal contamination, was detected.
But the data is even more worrisome with scourers and cloths. Because if they’re not kept clean, they have much higher numbers of bacteria.
The reason is that for bacteria they are an ideal space.
Because in the kitchen they have a lot of food from all the food remains that we drag when using them. And they are also almost permanently wet.
Also, even if we think they have completely dried out, many bacteria can resist and quickly grow again once they get wet.
And they are not data from an isolated study, since the one from the University of Arizona is not the only one of its kind. There are many investigations that have detected for human health in these kitchen utensils.
Can cause food poisoning
It has been shown that many pathogenic bacteria can colonize these materials which, in theory, are intended to clean. Bacteria that could cause serious food poisoning.
This does not mean that we are going to get sick because we forgot to disinfect a cloth. Because very high concentrations of bacteria would be needed to cause a health problem directly.
But what is certain is that in any case we must be careful, especially if there are vulnerable people at home, such as children or pregnant women.
Also, if for example we have leftover food and we keep it in the fridge with little hygiene, we could contaminate the leftovers with bacteria. And that would cause them to spoil much sooner and increase the chances of getting food poisoning.
Therefore, if we want to reduce bacteria in our kitchen, maintaining good hygiene of these tissues is essential.
Use each rag or cloth for one thing
It is important that each cloth, cloth or sponge has a single use.
to, for example, clean the table and dry our hands. Nor dedicate the same sponge to wash the dishes and scrub the counter.
In an investigation carried out analyzing kitchen tables, they concluded that tables cleaned with “all-purpose” cloths and sponges had more pathogenic bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus or enterococcus.
In the end, using each item for a single task restricts the passage of bacteria from one surface to another.
It would be something like a kind of confinement for microorganisms.
Clean them frequently, and well, not just with detergent
The longer we leave a rag unwashed, the more dirt it will accumulate and the more bacteria it will have.
Also, they should be dry most of the time to prevent bacteria growth.
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We must bear in mind that it is important to drain the cloths well and thoroughly, and to do so after each use.
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They must also be disinfected frequently and correctly.
Because it is clear that they must be cleaned. But the way to do it is also important.
Washing rags and cloths only with detergent and then drying them is not enough.
With this formula, contamination by bacteria is only slightly reduced, and in less than a day there can be many colonies of microorganisms again.
A way Very effective is using bleach.
If they are submerged for two minutes in a water solution with a little bleach, the disinfection of the rags is much more effective.
Another very good option is use the washing machine or wash them in very hot water.
At temperatures above 60°C for a few minutes, most problematic bacteria will be killed.
It should be said that bleach should be used with cold water. When thrown into hot water, it loses its effect because the chlorine evaporates.
cleaning dishes in dishwasher
The dishwasher has several advantages. If it’s full, you save water. It also costs less work. And, to top it off, it disinfects much better.
With a dishwasher, high enough temperatures can be reached to eliminate bacteria from our dishes and glasses.
Also, you don’t need to use the sponge/scrubber to clean. And now we know that it is better because a lot of fat, food remains and humidity accumulate in it, which favor the proliferation of microorganisms.
These microorganisms can then end up on our plates, glasses, pans and lunch boxes.
Wash our hands well before and after kitchen tasks
Hands are another vehicle for transporting microorganisms.
If we are handling food, but at the same time using a cloth to clean the counter, and then we wipe the cloth to remove the remains, we are making a…