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“Understanding where germs hang out is an important part of developing a safe cleaning routine,” says Sandy Sullivan, spokesperson for the Clorox Company. A prime example is the drain in your sink. If you throw some raw meat scraps into your garbage disposal, then drop a spoon down there, retrieve it with your hand, and go on to prepare a salad, chances are good that you have just contaminated your lettuce. To get rid of bacteria, mix three-quarters of a cup of bleach in a gallon of water. Pour it into your sink, let it sit for two to five minutes, and drain it out.

The three-quarter cup to one gallon water bleach solution applied for two to five minutes can also take care of other kitchen hot spots: dishcloths, faucet handles, refrigerator door handles, countertops, and moldy areas in the refrigerator. For wooden cutting boards, first wash with hot, soapy water, then use a solution of three tablespoons bleach to a gallon of water to scrub the boards and eliminate dangerous germs.

You always knew your dishwasher was convenient. But did you also know that it’s one of your best allies in keeping your kitchen safe from contaminants? The dishwasher sanitizes everything that goes in it, says Bonnie Richmond, senior lecturer in food safety and sanitation at the Hotel School at Cornell University, if you use the dry cycle. During that cycle, the internal temperature of the dishwasher reaches 170°F, which is required for sanitizing. (Sanitizing is the process of reducing harmful microbes to an acceptable level. Sterilizing is the process of removing all living organisms—something we can’t aspire to in our own homes.) Read more »

Use detergents made for the job you are doing, says Rich Vergili, professor of food safety at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.

• Make sure that your detergent contains degreaser if you’re washing a greasy pot.
• Use an abrasive cleaner that contains bleach if you want to clean and sanitize a smooth metal surface (e.g., sinks, soiled flatware). Be aware that before an item can be sanitized, it must first be cleaned, that is, have all the visible particles removed.
• Read the labels on your cleaning products to become better informed about their uses and any precautions you should take. For instance, you should not use household ammonia on food contact surfaces. Nor should you mix chemicals. In particular, never use bleach and household ammonia together because the resulting fumes can be dangerous. Read more »
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When it comes the time of rainy season, I am so stressed with the spider, cockroach, and other flies. You know, my house, especially the kitchen looks dirty with all those damn flies. I used to spray a lot of insecticides at the living room when the flies gang comes, but I can’t apply it to the kitchen, because I’m afraid of the poisons consisted in the spray will stick on the food and china, then it will be swallowed in dinner time…so risky.
I think I’ll try spider traps. Yeah, with the glue which traps the target only, this is will be safe and eco friendly.