When cooking for yourself and your family, it’s important to look after everyone’s health. If you’re not careful, you can catch a nasty infection, so it’s mandatory to keep germs at bay in those places where you handle food, especially your kitchen sink.
In this informative guide brought to you by a top-rated house cleaning company, Here, you’ll learn how to clean and disinfect your sink—even after handling raw meat. But first, we need to make something clear:
Cleaning vs. disinfecting your sink
Cleaning removes dirt and residue but disinfecting kills germs. It’s important to keep this in mind when handling your sink. Using soapy water and a sponge will quickly clear your sink; however, in time, it’ll gather lots of bacteria, and it’ll start to smell bad. Time to disinfect!
How do I clean and disinfect my kitchen sink?
Method #1: Use baking soda and vinegar
Baking soda will always help get rid of bacteria from your kitchen sink. To do this, rinse the empty sink with cold water and then spread baking soda all over. Then scrub it all with a sponge and pour enough vinegar to dissolve the powder. To finish, rinse with warm water and dry with a clean cloth.
To disinfect the drain, you can also pour one pot of hot water down, then ½ cup baking soda, and add 1 cup vinegar to make foam, let it drain itself, and then rinse.
Method #2: Make hydrogen peroxide foam
Not only does it clean injuries, but hydrogen peroxide can also disinfect your kitchen sink. Mix one cup of peroxide with one tablespoon of baking soda and pour it down the drain to clear it. This way, you’ll get rid of smells as well.
Note:
Make sure you use peroxide with a “3%” label on the bottle!
What if I put raw meat in the sink?
Cleaning after raw meat and chicken can get tricky, so make sure you handle them properly and disinfect your sink well after cooking.
Although it might seem smart, rinsing the meat is unnecessary. In fact, it could spread dangerous bacteria, such as salmonella, which will stay in your sink for up to 32 hours. The best way to get rid of bacteria on meat is to cook it properly.
Can I use bleach on my sink?
Bleach is such a powerful cleaner, guaranteed to kill 99% of most bacteria, that you need to be careful with quantities. But it’s your safest bet to disinfect the sink.
Just plug the drain, fill it with a gallon of warm water, and then add a spoonful of bleach. Using a sponge and gloves, scrub everything, including the handles. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Finally, unplug the drain, rinse, and let it air dry.
How about vinegar?
If you’re worried about using bleach, vinegar is a good choice for getting rid of everyday bacteria like e.coli and salmonella. It won’t be as powerful, but it can get the job done.
To disinfect using vinegar, mix it half and half with warm water and scrub the sink. Then, rinse with soapy water. You can also disinfect any cutting boards you use!
Keep the rest of your home clean
Your sink isn’t the only place that needs disinfecting; the rest of your home also needs deeper cleaning. If you don’t have the time to clean your home thoroughly, a cleaning company like The Cleaning Force can help you!
