The Germiest Places in Your Kitchen and How to Clean Them

Since spice jars are often handled after touching raw meat or poultry. But that meat or poultry can harbor bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella. To avoid potentially contaminating your spice jars, wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling meats. Use a clean spoon to measure them out instead of shaking them directly over your food.

Alternatively, you can pretend you’re on a cooking show and prepare your spices in little bowls before you start cooking.

In case you forget to keep your hands clean before handling the spice jars, wipe down the spice jars with a disinfectant wipe or spray once a week.

The kitchen sink is where you rinse off your dishes, utensils, and produce, but it can also be a breeding ground for germs. To keep it clean, wash it with hot, soapy water every day, especially after handling meat and poultry. You can also disinfect it with bleach or vinegar once a week.

Cutting boards are used for chopping various foods, but they can also transfer bacteria from one food to another if not cleaned properly.

To prevent cross-contamination, use separate cutting boards for raw meat and poultry, cooked foods, and produce.

Wash thoroughly in hot, soapy water after each use, and sanitize them with bleach or in a dishwasher.

Fridge door handles are touched frequently throughout the day, but they may not be cleaned as often as they should be.

They can collect germs from your hands, as well as from food spills and drips.

To clean them, wipe them down with a disinfectant wipe or spray every day.

Sponges are great for wiping up spills and messes, but they can also soak up germs and spread them around your kitchen.

To keep them sanitary, rinse them well after each use, and microwave them for one to two minutes every day to kill bacteria. You can also replace them every week or two.