From today's newspaper:

Researchers at the University of AZ Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Studies measured how much bacteria a person could pick up from touching various items in the home, such as sponges, faucet handles and telephones. They also looked at how much bacteria was on the hands after comming activities: cooking, cleaning, petting a dog or cat, letting children into the house, doing laundry and using a public restroom.

To their surprise, cooking turned out to be far filthier than entering a public restroom.

They suspect people either don't realize they need to wash immiedately after handling any raw meat or chicken and wait until the entire process is done before washing, or their attempts at washing are slapdash.

They noted sponges and dishcloths used to wipe down surfaces are particularly suspectible since they stay damp a long time, giving bacteria time to grow.

Cleaning a kitchen sink, filled with food particles and food-borne bacteria, was also a high risk situation because of the conditions on the sponge or dishcloth.

They noted people have been really educated about thorough handwashing after using bathrooms, but that same thoroughness hasn't been extended to the kitchen.

But then, some research indicate if you don't expose children to germs early in life, they are more prone to sicknesses as adults. See the above posts on vaccines.

-- Ken S. in TN (scharabo@aol.com), September 04, 2000

Answers

I wonder if they made any dictinction between harmless bacteria and the dangerous type. Though peple tend to think that all bacteria is life threatening- hence anti-bacterial soap for everyday use.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@transport.com), September 04, 2000.

Article didn't differentiate. Funny, I watch most of TV cooking and chef programs. They handle raw meat, poultry and seafood on a routine basis but you almost never see them washing their hands or utencils thoroughly between courses. How many of us really, really clean our cutting boards between uses?

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), September 04, 2000.

This is exactly why I have A TON of dish "rags"--free--available at all times. To heck with the fancy store-bought "cloths". Just take 100% cotton worn sox, cut up through the worn part to open them up. Can't beat the price. After laundered, hang in the sun for free bleaching and disinfecting. Enjoy!

-- Sandy (smd2@netzero.net), September 05, 2000.

This is why I never use sponges. I use a clean dish cloth every day, more often if needed, and when I cut meat, I immediately wash the knife, bleach the cutting board, and wash my hands good. This comes from being a nurse I guess. I always said, it is not the dirt you see to be concerned about but what you can't see, that is bacteria. I always wash my dishcloths in bleach and I like to hang them outside in the sun too. Bleach is an excellent bacteriacide. It is the only known thing to kill the HIV virus and is used in hospitals to clean patients rooms with for that reason.

-- bwilliams (bjconthefarm@yahoo.com), September 05, 2000.

I remember seeing an article a while back that said that wooden cutting boards had some antibacterial properties, if this helps anyone!

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), September 05, 2000.

I keep a bleach and water mix sprayer by the sink and use a dishtowel for one clean up then into the laundry. Also , I was taught in our home ec class (yes , us guys took it too, we were just allowed out during the "feminine " topics) to wash your hands after any spill, clean up or when changing over from preparing one food to another. Another thing, always store meat dishes during thawing on the lowest shelf so that it won't drip blood on other foods in the refridgerator.

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), September 05, 2000.

Hubby says my cooking is the biggest health hazard in our kitchen - Bring on the butter and the lard! Fry them 'taters! Care for some cream gravy on that there fried meat!?

I use a wooden board for meat and clean (hot water and soap) and bleach/water spray it after use. I use a plastic board or a plate (mine are old restaurant stock) for veggies and wash it post use. I never use a sponge, and change my dishcloth daily, at least. Hands are washed frequently (habit - nurse), but they are dried on a cloth towel so probably pick up germs from it. I keep one of those green scrubby things in a little pitcher on the window sill to clean eggs with (we only get three dozen a week, so no storage problem), rinse it well in very hot water when done and zap it with bleach occasionally and it gets washed when I wash towels.

I usually come down with one really good fever/nausea/stopped up/fatigue/headache/etc... type illness once a year - don't think I can blame it on my kitchen. Don't know of anyone who's gone home sick after eating here and I think I've fed most of the kids in town and maybe half the adults if you count bake sales and pies to fund raising dinners. Work uses antibacterial take-the-hide-off-your-hands type soap, but here at home, I'm partial to Kirk's Castile soap - 63 cents a bar, large bar, lots of suds even in hard water and very light, pleasant smell. I cut the bars in half for the bath and kitchen sinks. I've also grated it and dissolved it in water to use in the pump bottles. Thinking of trying a batch of the laundry soap recipe that was on here a while back, using it instead of Fels Naptha - don't care for the smell of the Fels. Use it for spot treating stains though - works great!

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), September 05, 2000.

The experts used to thnk that wooden cutting boards weren't as sanitary, because they were pourous. Then they discovered that as the wood dries, it sucks the moisture right out of the germs, and kills them! I use a huge rummage sale plastic one, myself, and set it up in the sink and bleach it when I am done. Those cheapie bundles of white wash clothes at Walmart make great dish cloths, as do worn out towels. Just tear them into appropriate sizes and zig- zag the edges, so you don't have strings. The more dish clothes you have, the better you feel about digging a clean one out of the drawer and putting the dirty one in the wash.

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), September 06, 2000.