• Home
  • Lifestyle
    • Beauty
    • Fitness
    • Cleaning
    • Decluttering
    • Plants
  • Money
    • Work From Home
  • Personal Growth
  • Blogging
    • Pinterest
    • Social Media
  • Food & Drink
  • Free Start A Blog Guide
  • Resources
  • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Submit a Guest Article/Interview!
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Everything Abode

Everything Abode - Your Home, Your Lifestyle and More!

  • Home
  • Lifestyle
    • Beauty
    • Fitness
    • Cleaning
    • Decluttering
    • Plants
  • Money
    • Work From Home
  • Personal Growth
  • Blogging
    • Pinterest
    • Social Media
  • Food & Drink
  • Free Start A Blog Guide
  • Resources
  • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Submit a Guest Article/Interview!
Food & Drink, Home Hacks, Kitchen, Lifestyle

10 Kitchen Things That Are Making You Fall Sick

    |    by Rebecca

10 Kitchen Things That Are Making You Fall Sick -- Everything Abode

We all love the kitchen, but are you potentially getting sick from it?

Whether it’s the place where we gather the most while entertaining guests or where we ultimately go to nourish our bodies when hunger ensues, the kitchen includes several places with risky stuff that could be potentially making you fall under the weather!

That’s because it’s known to be prone to some non-sanitary and ever consuming invisible germs.

Your kitchen is supposed to be one of the cleanest, healthiest, and most germ-free places in your home.

So let’s dive in to see the most popular kitchen items that are making you fall ill (and how to fix them). 

Similar Topics:

    • 16 Everyday Habits For A Sparkling Clean Home
    • How to Stop Being Messy – 10 Easy Habits For A Cleaner Abode

 

10 Kitchen things Making YOU fall Ill (& How to Fix It!)

 10 hazardous things in your kitchen & How to Fix Them -- Everything Abode

{this post contains affiliate links, see disclosure for details}

1. Kitchen sponges.

Did you know that one of your most important cleaning supplies is also your filthiest?

That’s right, first on this list of things that could be making you fall ill is your kitchen sponge because if you don’t refresh your sponge frequently, it is simply a gold mine for bacteria.

An analysis of kitchen things and the bacteria that they hold, in a Study, showed that 19.6 billion bacterias live on the average kitchen sponge.

In addition, that statistic also turns out to be far worse than the handles of a toilet cleaner!

Further studies also found large colonies of Acinetobacter, Moraxella, and Chryseobacterium along with E. Coli, and salmonella on kitchen sponges that were being used way past their expiry date.

So if you have been using the same sponge for months? Your sponges have been largely ineffective by just cleaning them out yourself. Scientists instead suggest that you replace your kitchen cleaning sponge once a week.

2. Improper Food Handling.

10 hazardous things in your kitchen (& How to Fix Them) - Everything Abode

How you handle your food is everything and here’s how you could be doing it wrong that could, in turn, be making you fall ill more than you’d like. 

You may be undercooking your food, using unwashed produce, skipping hand washing while cooking (due to forgetfulness), or cross-contaminating other foods that create a recipe for bacteria to multiply. 

So if you are not handling your food correctly, be forewarned that bacteria can multiply rapidly.

3. Improper thawing.

When it comes to preparing your proteins such as cold meat for dinner, you’d think that letting it sit for a few hours in the sink or on the counter is the right thing to do, right?

After all, the meat is far too cold for germs to ever build, so you should consider it safe. And the answer to that is, regrettably, no! 

First off, it’s good to know that bacteria can grow on anything warmer than 40°F and cooler than 140°F. So once the meat is within this range, bacteria can start to grow.

Second, freezing cannot kill germs that have already grown on food. Therefore, it is essential to be on top of things when it comes to your thawing measures. 

Experts suggest that if you have time, thawing your meat in the fridge is the safest method for keeping your food bacteria-free. You can also thaw it in a cold water bath in the sink or in the microwave if time is not on your side.

Don’t forget to cook it shortly after the meat thaws so you know that your food is not going to make you sick!

4. Dishtowels.

/

Many of us love our fabric hand towels all too much but if you don’t clean them regularly, you may want to rethink how you’re using your kitchen towels in your home.

This study found that your dishtowels are teeming with bacteria that can potentially cause food poisoning and harbor E. coli if you are not washing them soon enough.

Experts suggest that you wash your dish towels in extra hot water after every use, to help you combat the germs from spreading rapidly.


Similar: 5 Best Foods/drinks for When You’re Sick or Nauseous


5. Can openers.

We all know that the blade on a can opener is exposed to the contents of the can with every use, right?  But did you also know that some contents like fish can build up bacteria even after you clean it? 

And food-safety experts say that it all depends on if you are cleaning it right and certain contents of food need to be sanitized with the right kind of heat. 

Experts suggest that you should always wash your can openers in extremely hot, soapy water after every use OR place it in the dishwasher on extra hot sanitize mode, just to be sure that you are not transferring any bacteria to the next can that you are wanting to open next. 

6. Leftovers.

Next up is leftovers because you may want to think twice before eating or reheating your leftovers as not all leftovers should be treated the same. 

To help you figure that out, here are some foods that have been found to cause more sickness (when consumed after they’ve been cooked already) they are eggs, beets, spinach, and seafood to name a few. 

According to the FDA, these foods build up with bacteria pretty easily after they are cooked or rehandled and the bacteria will grow very quickly on any seafood that you are considering reheating again.

So always bear in mind when you are handling these foods (after you’ve already cooked them), so you don’t fall sick. 

7. Reusable shopping bags.

We all should be using reusable shopping bags as they are great for the environment (so never stop using them) — experts say though, to make sure that you do not leave your dirty reusable bags in a hot car! 

Bacteria can thrive and spread rapidly due to extra heat and moisture and a lot of people tend to forget that some food items are prone to leakage.

Foodsafe experts suggest that you wash your reusable shopping bags in extra hot water so cross-contamination from any meat juices or unwashed produce will not further spread and cause you to get sick. 

8. Cross-contamination & Mixing your Cutting boards.

Cross-contamination is a real problem, and most foodborne illnesses don’t just come from the food you eat.  Particularly in one sneaky place that is mostly found when preparing your food is cutting boards.

The biggest reason for this is because cutting boards are often misused or overused.

A single cutting board can lead to cross-contamination during meals and experts suggest that you should use one cutting board for your raw meat handling and another for every other cutting requirement like vegetables. 

If you do this, you’ll improve any chances of the raw meat entering and contaminating your freshly cut food.

9. Improper cleaning of Cutting boards.

/

Next up is cutting boards and how to clean them, as they are practically magnets for bacteria in your kitchen and this all could be due to cleaning your cutting boards improperly. 

It’s good to point out that every time you cut into your cutting board, those small little cracks are a bacteria landfill that could be potentially making you sick.

Experts suggest that any wooden cutting boards you use frequently should be cleaned in extra hot soapy water.  Your plastic cutting boards should also be placed in the dishwasher on the sanitize cycle just to be safe.

10. Microwave popcorn (surprising, right?).

/

Although microwave popcorn is not something to clean and is safe to eat, you should still know this because it’s very surprising!

When you are ready to eat your freshly popped kernels, did you know that chemicals are trying to escape like diacetyl?

This chemical is extremely bad for your respiratory system and can make you sick if you breathe in the steam that is being released from the popcorn bag too soon.

Of course, you can do some more reading on this here, but basically, it’s not safe to inhale the steam just after you open the bag. 

To get around this, opt to pop your own with a home popcorn maker, or let your microwave popcorn breathe by transferring the contents into a separate bowl before taking your first bite. 


Your kitchen is supposed to be one of the cleanest, healthiest, and most germ-free places in your home. There’s no need to be falling ill when these can be easily cleaned and handled with little effort.

You may also like:

    • 10 Genius Organizational Tips from Tidying Up with Marie Kondo
    • 16 Everyday Habits For A Clean Sparkling Home
    • How To Stop Being Messy – 10 Habits For A Cleaner Home
    • Beginner’s Guide To Minimalism – The Lifestyle Explained

Author: Rebecca

Hi, my name is Rebecca and I am the face behind Everything Abode! I am a lifestyle and wellness writer based out of Vancouver Island. When I’m not writing or exploring mountains and beaches with my furry rescue, I love spending time learning creative ways to manifest a healthy home. Thanks for stopping by!

Twitter Facebook

Subscribe to Get the Tools That Make My Blog Successful!

When you join my newsletter, I'm going to send you insider advice and tools that I use to grow my blog! I only save the BEST for my email list so don't wait!

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription. I'm so glad you're here!

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit

Related posts:

How to Do a DIY Mini Manicure at Home
25 Items You Must Declutter To Live A Minimal Lifestyle
10 Healthy Foods That Detox The Body
5 Healing Crystals That'll Turn Your Office Into A Positive Space
15 Most Weight-Loss-Friendly Foods On Earth (Supported By Science!)
6 Things You Might Experience After Meditating for 30-Days Straight
10+ Best Veggies & Fruits to Regrow from Kitchen Scraps
8 Hidden Beauty Tricks Models Know That You Don't

Filed Under: Food & Drink, Home Hacks, Kitchen, Lifestyle Tagged With: Hazardous things in the kitchen, Kitchen, Kitchen Cleaning, Kitchen food, Kitchen hacks, Things making you sick

Previous Post: « 8 Bedroom Organization Ideas That Are Both Smart & Stylish
Next Post: 10 Powerful Ways To Have More Energy In The Mornings »

Reader Interactions

Want More?

Sign up to receive Everything straight to your inbox!

Join the crew to receive life hacks, home hacks  + exclusive tips to help you start and grow your blog.

Let’s get social

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Get on the List!

Disclaimer

Everything Abode is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
everythingabode.com is for informational and entertainment purposes only. 

Footer

More: Lifestyle

9 Skincare Steps You Should Never Avoid

9 Skincare Steps You Should Never Avoid

More: How to Blog

5 Quick & Simple Pinterest Tips to Get More Traffic -- Everything Abode

5 Proven Strategies To Help Your Pins Take Off On Pinterest

More: Food & Drink

7 Easy Meal Planning Tips For Total Beginners - meal planning for beginners

7 Easy Meal Planning Tips For Total Beginners

everythingabode_

everythingabode_
In the hectic hustle and bustle of modern life, it In the hectic hustle and bustle of modern life, it’s easy to get lost and lose track of yourself.You may feel like you don’t know where you’re going, or you may feel like everything you do is somehow wrong.Don’t worry. These feelings are very common, but they can be overcome. Self-assurance is attainable for anybody.
 
If you want to become a happier, more capable person, then take a look at these seven useful ways to start feeling more self-assured starting today.Link in bio! 🧡
#selfassurance #selfconfidence #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment
The Great Depression changed the way many American The Great Depression changed the way many Americans viewed and used money.For 10 years between 1929 and 1939, the country experienced one of the worst economic downturns in history. Millions of people found themselves out of work, banks folded and many families became homeless.
 
There are many good money secrets that we have learned from the Great Depression that still apply today.
 
Here are the top 7 money lessons learned that you can apply today during these hard times with the lockdown. Link in bio! 💵
#thegreatdepressiontips #savingmoney #moneymoves #money #greatdepressionmoney
You are your greatest asset, so it’s important t You are your greatest asset, so it’s important to take care of yourself.
While the idea of wellness trends may conjure up images of fad diets, a library of self-help books, and expensive gurus, that couldn’t be further from the truth.Sure, those things exist, but you can easily get healthy without following some dubious fad or paying an arm and a leg. Your time and money are valuable, so it’s important to make the most of what you already have.Thankfully, there are a ton of scientifically proven health trends that you can try at home, making it super convenient to take your health into your own hands.If you want to live a happier, healthier life without much hassle, then check out these eight effective wellness trends that you can try at home. Link in bio! #wellness #wellnesstrends #wellnessathome
Black lives matter 🙏🖤 I am hopeful that one Black lives matter 🙏🖤 I am hopeful that one day we can look back at this moment and know we made the proper changes to end this cruel way of living that has been going on for far to long! #blm #blackouttuesday
Load More... Follow on Instagram

ABOUT | CONTACT | SUBMISSIONS | DISCLAIMER | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS + CONDITIONS | SHOP | Q & A | SITEMAP
Copyright © 2021 · Everything Abode· Blog Design by Little Blue Deer