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