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Taking extra precautions when cooking your food and preparing meals is definitely a smart idea right now. However, there are some steps you should take that you might not even know about. Of course, washing your hands before handling any food is crucial, but there are other important steps you should take as well.
With that in mind, keep reading for the one mistake you’re probably making while making meals in quarantine!
Forgetting To Clean & Disinfect Counters
You should be cleaning and sanitizing high touch surfaces--like light switches, door knobs, and countertops--often. When it comes to preparing food, the cleanliness of your countertop is super important.
According to Eat This, Not That!, "It's possible that you're not properly disinfecting your kitchen countertops, which could invite bacteria and traces of the virus into your food or even directly onto your hands."
Although there is still a lot we do not know about contracting COVID-19 through surfaces, it's still a good idea to keep these areas clean.
Shelly Fiest, executive director of the non-profit Partnership for Food Safety Education, told Eat This, Not That! about the differences between cleaning and sanitizing: "Cleaning removes germs, dirt, and impurities from surfaces by the use of soap or detergent and water. Sanitizing lowers the number of germs on surfaces by the use of a diluted bleach solution that is easy to make at home."
After washing your counters with soap and water, turn to disinfectants like bleach, hydrogen peroxide, and rubbing alcohol.
It's also a good idea to wear disposable gloves while you are cleaning and to wash your hands afterwards.
For more sanitizing tips for your high touch surfaces, check the CDC's website.
