Top 5 Areas of your Kitchen that are Harboring Bacteria

As the mecca of raw meat and dirty dishes, you can probably guess that there are a large number of bacteria lurking in your kitchen.  If you haven’t hired a Houston maid service, and you are handling things on your own, you are probably itching for a map to seek and destroy the germs.

So, where are these germy culprits hiding?

Here are the top 5 bacteria havens in your kitchen.

COUNTERTOPS

As the workstation for the kitchen, our countertops tend to be touched by bacteria laden hands frequently.  Remember when your mom told you to wash your hands after you handled raw meat to prevent cross-contamination?  The same goes for your countertops.  If you touch the counters with raw meat on your hands, they build up bacteria that can easily spread around your kitchen.

SPONGE

Your kitchen sponge has scrubbed countless pots and pans, wiped down counters, and picked up crumbs from the stovetop.  Their porous material makes them an easy target for bacterial clans such as E.coli and salmonella, so you should have a separate sponge for cleaning dishes and countertops.  Sanitize your sponge frequently, and replace regularly.

TRASH CAN

As the place that you literally put your trash, you shouldn’t be surprised that bacteria hide here.  Even a lined trash can will collect the occasional spill can collect along the side, or items can fall between the bag and the can.  Along with disinfecting, you can deodorize your trash can using baking soda.

CUTTING BOARD

Since cutting boards come in contact with a variety of food types, both raw and cooked, it’s important to sanitize tem frequently.  It’s also important to note that different types of cutting boards have different care requirements.

Cutting boards that are made of glass are the most sanitary since they are non-porous.  Wooden and plastic cutting boards are more likely to absorb bacteria since they are more porous.

KITCHEN SINK

It definitely makes sense that the kitchen sink would make it into our top 5.  This is where we wash our hands after handling raw meat, rinse dirty dishes, and soak stuck-on food from pots and pans.  This is also where we rinse our fruits and vegetables.  Eek!

If you think about the kitchen germs that are brewing in your kitchen, imagine how many of these have been transferred to other areas of your home through cross-contamination.  Sounds like a great time to call a Houston housecleaning service.   Naturalcare Cleaning Service offers Houston chemical-free cleaning, so all you have to worry about is relaxing in your clean house!

What’s your favorite way to battle kitchen bacteria?  Leave us a comment to let us know how you keep the germs at bay!