“People think that the bathroom is the dirtiest place in their house,” says Cheryl Luptowski, a Home Safety Expert at the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), an independent public health and environmental organization. “When in fact the kitchen has the most germs.”
The most dirtiest places are identified to be:
- Sponges and Dishcloths – Microbe: E. coli
According to a study by the NSF, more than 75 percent of dish sponges and rags have some sort of coliform bacteria — a family of bacteria that includes Salmonella and E. coli and is an indicator of potential fecal contamination.
Cleaning advice: Microwaving your sponges and dishcloths on high for about 30 seconds will kill most bacteria.
- Sink – Microbe: E. coli
You may think that this is one of cleanest spots because everything gets washed in the sink, right? Think again. 45 percent of kitchen sinks were found to have coliform bacteria.
Cleaning advice: Disinfecting the sink with a kitchen cleaner and just to be safe, don’t apply the 10-second rule when you drop food in the sink.
- Cutting Board – Microbe: E. coli
In a study by the NSF, 18 percent of cutting boards were found to have coliform bacteria.
Cleaning advice: Using separate cutting boards: one for produce and one for meat, seafood, and poultry to avoid cross-contamination. Wash each one in hot soapy water and dry with a paper towel since bacteria thrive in moist environments.
