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You just had a nice meal with baked chicken. You have dishes in the dishwasher, and you have finished cleaning your surfaces. Are you done in the kitchen? NO, you are not. When you cook raw meat or poultry, make sure you clean THEN sanitize not just your surfaces but also the kitchen sink. Wiping or rinsing these areas is not enough to kill bacteria that may have spread around your kitchen while you were preparing your food. Here are steps you should take to leave your kitchen spotless and eliminate the germs that could make you sick that you don’t see.

STEP 1: Cleaning is the first step to make sure you are removing bacteria that can cause foodborne illness from your kitchen. To clean your surfaces and your kitchen sink, use warm, soapy water to wash the area. Wipe them clean with single-use or paper towels. If you use kitchen towels for cleaning, they should be washed frequently in the hot cycle of your washing machine. Don’t forget to wash your hands with soap and running water to keep them clean as well.

Cleaning is the first step to get rid of bacteria from the surfaces. Foodborne illness causing bacteria can remain on the surfaces for a long time. Campylobacter can survive in your kitchen for up to 4 hours and Salmonella can last for up to 32 hours. Both can be found in raw poultry. Cleaning with warm soapy water can physically remove dirt and some bacteria from a surface, but it does NOT kill bacteria.

STEP 2: Then sanitize. Sanitizing is second, but equally important to removing bacteria from your kitchen. This step will kill any remaining bacteria. Many different sanitizers can be used. An easy homemade sanitizer version is 1 teaspoon of chlorine bleach per four cups of water, or you can use a commercial sanitizer or wipes. Pour or spray your sanitizing solution on surfaces and wipe them clean with a paper towel. Be sure surfaces are completely dry before using those surfaces. If you use commercial sanitizers, be sure to follow the instructions.

Sanitizing in cleaning reduces the number of foodborne pathogens that survive in your kitchen. It kills bacteria. However, sanitizing is most effective after you have cleaned those surfaces. So don’t skip cleaning before sanitizing.

Your dishwasher can be effective in cleaning and sanitizing your utensils and cutting boards if they are non-porous and are dishwasher safe. However, if you can’t put something in the dishwasher, then wash them first and then use a sanitizing solution to make sure they are clean and sanitized. Pour your sanitizing solution on the cutting boards and let it stand for several minutes or use it as a soak for your utensils. Next, rinse them and air or pat them dry with clean paper towels. With these steps, clean then sanitize, you can eliminate any foodborne illness-causing bacteria in your kitchen!

Kathy Smith is a Texas A&M AgriLife extension agent in Parker County.

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