6 Kitchen devices that may be harboring germs

For far too long we have held the kitchen sink and the sponge used for cleaning dishes as the only objects that bear germs. However, there are many other things present in the swankiest and cleanest of the kitchens that are home to microorganisms and cause foodborne illnesses. Read on to know about those items in greater detail.

One of the researchers in recent times revealed a surprising result about the unexpected places in your kitchen that might be contaminated by harmful microbes such as E. Coli, Listeria, Salmonella, mold, and yeast. In fact, in a majority of the episodes of food borne illnesses homes are the prime source of contamination.

Here are the places in your kitchen that are the breeding grounds for harmful germs:

Knife block

Knife block is one of the few places that almost all of us never consider washing. Turn the block upside down after removing the knives, shake out any particles present inside it, wash with hot soapy water and a brush, soak the block in a mix of 1 gallon lukewarm water and 1 tablespoon of 5.25% bleach for 1 minute, rinse again with clean water, and dry.

Refrigerator drawers

Refrigerator drawers are the party places for Salmonella, yeast, mold, and Listeria, which can dirty or contaminate all the fresh veggies, fruits, and meats placed in the drawer. Once every month, wash the rack with warm soapy water and dry it well before placing it back inside the refrigerator.

Blenders

All the blenders must be disassembled completely after every use by removing the blender blade and gasket to clean the machine thoroughly with some hot soap solution.

Openers

Can openers are used by many of us almost every other day. But, it doesn’t occur to us that this tiny little gadget must be breeding microorganisms. Clean the area with grooves well before using it again.

Rubber spatula

The tip of the rubber spatula must be cleaned well by separating the two parts and then washing it in a dish washer or with a soap solution. In fact, all the rubber spatulas, brushes or tools that are detachable must be separated and then washed well in either the dishwasher or with a hot soap solution to get rid of the germs on them. Dry the tools well before next use.

Food storage containers

Food storage containers particularly the ones with a rubber seal must be washed carefully around the seal grooves as this area holds many germs. If your containers are dish washer safe then you may clean them in that but make sure to dry it out completely before using the containers again.