To clean and sanitize your cooking tools properly, follow these important steps to keep your food safe:
Initial Cleaning: Begin by rinsing your utensils in warm water to wash away food bits. The CDC says that 1 in 6 Americans get sick from food-related illnesses each year, so this step is very important.
Scrubbing: Use a special sponge or brush with hot, soapy water. The FDA suggests using a safe dish soap that won’t harm food surfaces to get rid of grease and dirt.
Sanitizing Solution: Make a sanitizing solution by mixing 1 tablespoon of unscented bleach with 1 gallon of water. This mix is good for killing bacteria and viruses.
Soaking: Place your utensils in the sanitizing solution for at least 1 minute. Studies show that proper sanitizing can lower harmful germs like Salmonella and E. coli by over 99%.
Rinsing: After soaking, rinse your utensils thoroughly with clean water to wash away any bleach. If you don’t rinse well, harmful chemicals could stay on your tools and cause health problems.
Drying: Let your utensils air dry completely. A wet environment can help bacteria grow. Research shows that bacteria can double in number every 20 minutes in the right conditions, so drying them properly is very important.
By following these simple steps, you can make your kitchen safer and reduce the risk of food contamination.
To clean and sanitize your cooking tools properly, follow these important steps to keep your food safe:
Initial Cleaning: Begin by rinsing your utensils in warm water to wash away food bits. The CDC says that 1 in 6 Americans get sick from food-related illnesses each year, so this step is very important.
Scrubbing: Use a special sponge or brush with hot, soapy water. The FDA suggests using a safe dish soap that won’t harm food surfaces to get rid of grease and dirt.
Sanitizing Solution: Make a sanitizing solution by mixing 1 tablespoon of unscented bleach with 1 gallon of water. This mix is good for killing bacteria and viruses.
Soaking: Place your utensils in the sanitizing solution for at least 1 minute. Studies show that proper sanitizing can lower harmful germs like Salmonella and E. coli by over 99%.
Rinsing: After soaking, rinse your utensils thoroughly with clean water to wash away any bleach. If you don’t rinse well, harmful chemicals could stay on your tools and cause health problems.
Drying: Let your utensils air dry completely. A wet environment can help bacteria grow. Research shows that bacteria can double in number every 20 minutes in the right conditions, so drying them properly is very important.
By following these simple steps, you can make your kitchen safer and reduce the risk of food contamination.