If there’s one room in the house that you should keep clean, no matter how tired or busy you are, it’s the kitchen. After all, this is where you prepare and cook meals for yourself and your family. Leave your kitchen messy, and you make it vulnerable to germs and pests that can contaminate food and lead to food-borne diseases.
While keeping your kitchen clean and tidy can help significantly in creating a healthy home, it’s not enough. You may also need to evaluate your kitchen habits to ensure that you’re not jeopardizing your family’s health in any way. Remember, just because you’ve been doing things for many years without issues doesn’t mean you’re doing them correctly.
If you’re worried that you’ve adopted unhealthy kitchen practices, read on. Some habits may be hard to break, but understanding what makes them dangerous is essential for keeping yourself and your family safe and well.
Defrosting Meats on the Countertop
What's Inside
While this practice may seem harmless, leaving frozen food at room temperature for over two hours allows bacteria to grow and multiply in your food. Instead of letting frozen meats and poultry sit on the counter to thaw, use the “defrost” setting of your microwave oven. This method is safer and gets the job done in no time, so you can significantly reduce your food preparation and cooking time.
Another option would be to leave frozen foods in the refrigerator overnight. Sure, it may take longer to defrost, but the fridge’s cold temperature can inhibit bacterial growth and keep food items fresh and safe for consumption.
Using a Single Cutting Board for Produce and Meat
If you’re using a single cutting board for all the food you’re preparing, you may want to invest in new ones ASAP. Raw meats, such as pork, poultry, and seafood, usually contain bacteria. When you cut them up, these microbes can transfer and linger in the crevices of the cutting board—even after washing. As such, there’s a high chance that you’ll contaminate fruits, veggies, and other food items when you prepare them using the same cutting board you used for meats.
To prevent possible cross-contamination and the health issues this can lead to, keep at least two cutting boards in your kitchen and reserve one for cutting or chopping raw meats, poultry, and seafood exclusively. Moreover, keep your cutting boards clean. After every use, wash them thoroughly using hot, soapy water, and then rinse, let them air dry, and store them properly.
Tasting to Check If the Food Is Still Good
Do you have a habit of tasting stored leftovers to know if they’re still good to eat? If so, it’s time to change this practice to avoid health issues. Remember, spoiled food usually contains harmful bacteria that can cause food poisoning. Ingesting even a small amount can make you sick.
Instead of tasting and risking your health, consider using your other senses to check if the food is still edible. For instance, if cooked meats, roasts, or veggies feel slimy, sticky, or soggy, toss them right away. Discoloration, a greenish tint, and a foul smell are other signs of food spoilage you can look for, so you don’t have to taste anything. And when you’re still in doubt, it’s better to err on the side of caution by throwing questionable leftover meals into the compost bin.
Not Changing the Scrubbing Sponge Frequently
When was the last time you changed the scrubbing sponge in your kitchen? If you can’t remember or are still waiting for the scrub to wear out, you may want to buy a new one because you’re probably not replacing this staple cleaning tool often enough.
You may not realize it, but dishwashing sponges are ideal breeding grounds for germs. One study published in the Scientific Reports journal found nearly 370 different species of bacteria in used kitchen sponges. And not only that, but the density of bacteria reached up to 45 billion per square centimeter. These results imply that you’re most likely contaminating your kitchen items with pathogens by prolonging the use of your kitchen sponges.
If you want to keep your sponges clean and sanitary and prevent them from hurting your family’s physical well-being, it’s advisable to replace them every two weeks. You should also clean and sanitize your sponges after every use. However, it’s worth pointing out that frequent cleaning can’t extend the life of your sponges. The porousness of the material makes it impossible to get completely clean, so you still need to replace them regularly to prevent the risk of cross-contamination.
Eating Raw Batter or Dough
If you enjoy tasting or eating raw batter and cookie dough for fun, you may need to correct this habit once and for all. Salmonella, E. coli and other harmful bacteria may be present in mixtures and doughs containing raw eggs or flour. Coli, and other harmful bacteria. As such, it’s best to cook or bake flour and eggs before consuming them to avoid getting sick.
If you’re guilty of doing any of the unsafe kitchen practices discussed above, you may want to take corrective measures immediately. Otherwise, your family’s health would be at risk, and there’s a chance you’d pass on these unhealthy habits to your children. Remember that even a tiny mistake in food handling and preparation can cause serious illness. As such, it’s better to be vigilant about your kitchen practices so you don’t endanger your family’s health.
