How to Have a Bacteria-Free Kitchen in San Fernando Valley

In general, bacteria and food should not mix. It can be a harmful hazard in your home. Bacteria can lead to acute illness, poor overall health, and even compromise your immune system for the long term. There are many products on the market designed to eliminate bacteria in our kitchens and on counter surfaces. In this article, we will look at the types of bacteria commonly found in kitchens as well as the common places for it to grow and thrive. We will also discuss what steps you can use to reduce bacteria in your home.

Common Kitchen Bacteria

Listed below are some of the most common bacteria, and while some are less harmful than others, all should ideally be avoided:

• Campylobacter: The most common cause of food poisoning, commonly found in raw or undercooked meat.
• Salmonella: Second most common source of food poisoning, caused by raw and contaminated foods.
• Staphylococcus Aureus: Fast growing bacteria with toxins which can cause sickness. It is found in uncooked food that has been handed, like salads.
• Clostridium perfringens: Commonly caused by undercooked raw meats. This bacteria can cause low-level food poisoning.
• Clostridium Botulinum: A rare kitchen bacteria which can be found in processed canned meat or vegetables. This bacteria is dangerous and can cause paralysis or death.
• Listeria: Most commonly a risk to pregnant women, listeria can be found in soft cheeses, processed meats, and raw eggs. Symptoms to exposure can take time to develop and can range from mild to severe.
• E-Coli (Escherichia coli): Severe strains of this bacteria can cause death. Sources of contamination are similar to those mentioned in above entries.
• Bacillus Cereus: This bacteria can be found across all food groups and causes short-lived food poisoning symptoms.
• Shigella: Less common, shigella is caused by food which has come into contact with faecal matter.
• Vibrio parahaemolyticus: This bacteria can be caused by food, most commonly seafood, but also can contaminate humans through open wounds and infected water.

Sources of Bacteria in your Kitchen

There are many places bacteria can thrive in your kitchen, and being aware of these can help you make changes to safeguard you and your family.

1. Work Surfaces

Work surfaces come into direct contact with both your hands and the food you are preparing. Both need to be kept clean in order to keep the risk of contamination low. Therefore you should always clean worktops before prepping food (especially when raw), immediately clean spilled foods, and avoid cross contamination between raw and cooked foods.

2. Cloth

Few people think of their washcloths, hand towels, and sponges as being filled with bacteria, but they are notorious for bacteria growth. This can lead to people unwittingly spreading more bacteria when cleaning. Change and wash any cleaning rags and towels regularly. Keep different hand towels and cloths for different purposes.

3. Utensils

Contaminated utensils can easily spread bacteria, and in some cases you could quite literally be stirring harmful bacteria into your food as you prepare it! Wash utensils thoroughly after each use, particularly when preparing raw foods. Don’t use the same utensils for preparing both raw and ready foods (i.e. don’t use the same knife to prepare lettuce if you’ve also used it to chop raw chicken).

4. Hands

Bacteria is all around us and impossible to avoid. However, we can reduce the amount of bacteria risk in our kitchens to our foods by simply washing our hands. You should wash your hands:

• Before prepping food
• After touching raw food
• After touching the trash can
• Before resuming cooking after you’ve returned from another room
• After touching sponges or dirty hand towels

Kitchen Emporium

Old kitchen fittings or worn out worktops or surfaces can be hard to clean. They can allow bacteria to thrive, meaning you’re really fighting a losing battle. Therefore, if your kitchen is past its prime, give yourself and your family a helping hand and undertake some kitchen renovations. Let us help you create the kitchen space you’ve always wanted.

Kitchen Emporium is here to help the homeowners of the Southern California areas, including the San Fernando Valley, San Diego, and communities in San Marcos. We offer quality kitchens for the past 20 years. Kitchen Emporium is guaranteed to find you the perfect fixtures and fittings for your home and personal style. We are committed to excellence. The friendly team at Kitchen Emporium offers wholesale prices for quality products, meaning you get a deal as well as a kitchen to be proud of, and with three locations open six days a week, this is the perfect time to discover what Kitchen Emporium can do for you and your home.