tips for kitchen sanitization using natural cleaners and/or bleach

[gmarie]

I just found a worm on our cutting board and am all freaked out. No idea how it got there. It is bamboo and we do wash it every time we use it.

We do not have a dishwasher. I'm also afraid our dishes are not getting clean enough.

looking for advice on frugal/ natural ways to clean and sanitize not just dishes but everything in the kitchen!

thanks!!

[Contrary Housewife]

Sometimes you can get little "worms" that are the grub of a tiny moth that infects dry goods in the pantry. I got them at one house I lived in, the previous inhabitants had left them behind. The eggs hatched a couple weeks after I moved in. We had to completely take everything out of the pantry, all the food and dismantle the shelving to get rid of them. Then I put all the flour and rice into big food containers with tight lids.

You can also get maggots from flies, but it's pretty easy to tell where they are coming from because it will stink. Flies lay eggs in cat or dog poo, or anyplace with rotting refuse.

[OhPioneer1806]

If you use hot water and soap to wash your dishes and make sure all food residue is removed they are getting clean enough. It is more sanitary to let them air dry than to dry them with a towel ( in my professional kitchen all dishes are air dryed as per the department of health regulations). As for a frugal way to clean your kitchen use vinegar and water and dish cloths. Sponges tend to breed bacteria and germs so toss those and use a fresh clean dish cloth each time you wash dishes and/ or clean cabinets and appliances.

[gmarie]

Thanks for the advice. I do use vinegar, but I wonder how sanitary it really is.

Wouldn't bleach be better for the cutting board?

I don't use sponges, I use dishcloths, but I'm not changing them every single time I use them. I will start now.

I need to buy a covered pail or something that I can put the used rags in. We also do not have w/d in our new tiny house, so we have to go to the laundrymat! I am currently putting dirty rags them in plastic bags to keep them separate from my laundry.

[FrabjousDay]

I give my cutting boards a good scrub with salt and a lemon half, then wash with hot soapy water and air dry. I've never kept bleach in my kitchen.

ETA: I also keep a bottle of tea tree oil spray in the kitchen for disinfecting surfaces.

[imagine]

Vinegar is a good disinfectant. Using it full strength is best for disinfecting. That is what I use even for cleaning the toilet.

Here is part of an article http://allrecipes.com//HowTo/kitchen...on/Detail.aspx

Distilled White Vinegar Has a limitless shelf-life, is a great sanitizer, is economical and is one of the best grease eliminators around. Keep a spray bottle of undiluted vinegar handy for quick clean-ups.

Disinfecting cutting boards: water and dishwashing detergents can weaken surface fibers on wood cutting boards and butcher block counter tops. Instead, wipe them with full strength white vinegar after each use. The acetic acid in the vinegar is a good disinfectant, effective against many harmful bugs.
Jars, containers, drinking glasses and china: fill with equal parts vinegar, water and soap and let stand for 10-15 minutes; clean and rinse.
Chrome and stainless steel: wipe down with vinegar and water; buff with a soft cloth.

here is another article about vinegar as a disinfectant http://www.care2.com/greenliving/vin...old-germs.html

[gmarie]

Thanks, Imagine. The article was helpful, exactly the kind of info/statistics I was looking for to ease my mind!

I do use a spray bottle w/ undiluted vinegar to clean the sink, toilet rim, etc. Nice to know that it is really doing something!
I use baking soda for the shower and seems like that works.

DH tells me that bleach is not bad for the environment, he says it turns into salt... have not bothered to research it. but it does make my tile floors very clean and it is cheap!

I also use bleach to clean the toilet, but feel it doesn't work that well. Any suggestions for toilet bowl cleaning?

[gmarie]

FrabjousDay, thanks for the suggestions. I always want to buy tea tree oil or essential oils, and then I don't because of the cost. Any suggestions where to get them cheap?

Also, using a lemon seems a bit expensive, they are about .50+ each where i live... how long does one lemon last you for this purpose?

[FrabjousDay]

My pharmacy carries tea tree oil. I believe the Wal-mart pharmacy carries it as well.

I don't scrub down my cutting boards after every single use. I would guess that I do it about once a week? I am a total lemon junkie, and use them a lot in my cooking. Our Super Target often has really good prices on bags of lemons, I pick one up whenever they do. After I use a lemon while cooking, I put it aside to scrub my boards. When I'm finished doing that, I cut up the lemon and run it down the garbage disposal to freshen it up as well.

I also like to use lemon leftovers in hot water to steam clean my microwave.

[imagine]

Thanks, Imagine. The article was helpful, exactly the kind of info/statistics I was looking for to ease my mind!

I do use a spray bottle w/ undiluted vinegar to clean the sink, toilet rim, etc. Nice to know that it is really doing something!
I use baking soda for the shower and seems like that works.

DH tells me that bleach is not bad for the environment, he says it turns into salt... have not bothered to research it. but it does make my tile floors very clean and it is cheap!

I also use bleach to clean the toilet, but feel it doesn't work that well. Any suggestions for toilet bowl cleaning?

I generally just use the vinegar but if something as really stuck on I will scrub it with salt or baking soda then finish with vinegar. Same thing with the tub.

You can also "drain" the bowl. Turn off the water to the toilet and flush. A little water will stay in the very bottom. Sometimes this make scrubbing easier as you aren't deluting the vinegar or salt or baking soda. I don't have to do that often. Remember to turn back on the water and fill tank before you use again.

I have heard putting a denture cleaning tablet in the tub works. Leave it in over night. I haven't tried it. To many people using the one toilet during the night. LOL also not sure how "green" or natural that is.

[gmarie]

Thanks.

I am excited to go home and clean this weekend. DH has to go in early on Saturday and work on his day off on Sunday so instead of being sad I am just happy I have extra time to clean and he won't be around to mess it up!

[lisaflex]

bleach is the best disinfectant for a cutting board.

[gmarie]

Ok another cleaning/germ question:

DH and I have both had a stomach bug this week. :-(

Again, I am freaked out about our lack of a dishwasher and feel that our water doesn't get hot enough and so I feel like everything is germy and not getting clean enough.

What is the best way to clean/ disinfect my kitchen (available products are: dish soap, baking soda, vinegar &/or bleach) to make sure ALL the germs are gone and I can sleep better at night?

What is the best way to sanitize our bone china plates, also utensils, glassware, pans, etc.

Also, what about a BPA free Nalgene bottle?

Thanks!

[ladykemma2]

quit with the germ phobia. let your immune system do its thing.

the more germicidal stuff you use, the sicker you and your family will get.

if you have to, a splash of bleach in the dish rinse water will do what you need.

[ladykemma2]

I just found a worm on our cutting board and am all freaked out. No idea how it got there. It is bamboo and we do wash it every time we use it.

We do not have a dishwasher. I'm also afraid our dishes are not getting clean enough.

looking for advice on frugal/ natural ways to clean and sanitize not just dishes but everything in the kitchen!

thanks!!

just rinse the dang thing off and keep truckin. geez.