Cooking in your own kitchen can be a great way to make healthy meals….but at the same time, the equipment used in home kitchens isn’t controlled by the health and safety laws that keep us safe from germs or other contamination with pre-cooked food. If you’re still using these you might want to consider replacing them…
Non-stick Pans
We all have a few of these in our kitchen cupboards, but did you know that heating a non-stick pan too high can release toxic fumes? OK, they won’t kill you but they can make you feel poorly. The heat needed to release the fumes is much higher than we’d usually need to cook our eggs in the morning, but older and damaged pans will start releasing fumes at lower temperatures. The solution – don’t keep old, scratched or damaged non-stick pans, and as newer versions produce less toxic fumes, if you have any pans dating back to before 2010, get rid of them, too.
Grill Brushes
It’s barbecue season, but don’t get out last year’s brush and think everything will be fine... Bristles fall off old brushes and end up in your food – not nice. Especially when you consider that bristles can puncture your throat, stomach or intestines. They aren’t exactly expensive, so just get a new one…
Plastic Food Containers
These have been under the spotlight in the media because some older food storage containers can contain bisphenol A, a compound that has been linked to all sorts of things, like cancer, heart disease and more. If your food containers are a bit old and decrepit, treat yourself to some more; experts believe that BPA can seep into your food and cause all sorts of problems. Newer containers are less likely to contain the compound.
Chopping Boards
You really do need to make sure that you replace your chopping boards regularly, whether they are plastic or wooden. Soap and water will get the surfaces clean but not the cuts and gouges that they inevitably pick up. These little crevices will be the perfect place for germs to breed, and can be very hard to disinfect. As soon as your board start looking a bit scratched, bin it and get a new, clean one.
Kitchen Sponges
The perfect place for bacteria to multiply, sponges are damp and porous. You can try rinsing it in hot water and even blasting it for 30 seconds in the microwave, but remember to replace it regularly otherwise you’re just spreading germs around with it. Experts suggest two weeks is optimum time for sponges to be binned.
Dish Cloths
Just like sponges, these are bacteria magnets. If you’re like many people (oops) and you also use the cloth to wipe over your kitchen surfaces, you are potentially asking for trouble. Wash them on a high temperature frequently and replace them often,
