Squeaky Clean? Not Even Close

NY Times ^ | January 28, 2004 | AMANDA HESSER

[glorgau]

The cleanest kitchens, he said, were in the homes of bachelors, who never wiped up and just put their dirty dishes in the sink.

I must live an ultra clean life. Better yet, don't even use dishes, just eat over the sink!

[neverdem]

Ping

[JimSEA]

Professor Anderson filmed more than 100 people preparing dinner and found that only two did not cross-contaminate raw meat with fresh vegetables.

And this resulted in how many deaths? Studies are fine but a little common sense and perspective is needed.

[tbird5]

"The cleanest kitchens, he said, were in the homes of bachelors, who never wiped up and just put their dirty dishes in the sink"

Maybe it's because they never cook.

[Peace will be here soon]

The cleanest kitchens, he said, were in the homes of bachelors, who never wiped up and just put their dirty dishes in the sink.
-------
Ha !!! I don`t even use dishes ; just paper plates , cups, and plastic utensils. I do have an overflowing trash can though. Is that bad?

[Oztrich Boy]

Professor Anderson filmed more than 100 people preparing dinner and found that only two did not cross-contaminate raw meat with fresh vegetables.

While I am no way a PETA supporter, I don't think meat becomes inedible if it touches fresh vegetables.

[mountaineer]

In one test he did, raw chicken juices were spread on samples of used wood and plastic cutting boards. Both boards were washed in hot soapy water and dried, then knives were used to simulate cutting vegetables for a salad. No bacteria appeared on the knives cut on wood, but there were plenty on the knives used on a plastic board.

I use a plastic cutting board, but scrub it clean with a chlorine bleach cleanser. A little common sense, folks! Like JimSEA said, let's keep all these tests and suppositions in perspective.

[mountaineer]

Perhaps he meant only two didn't contaminate their veggies with the bacteria from the meat. That was a rather poorly worded sentence!

[Big Giant Head]

I am glad my kitchen is a little dirty. If you don't expose yourself to germs, you don't build up yer immunity to 'em.

I remember our kitchen growing up. ALWAYS a pile of dishes that needed washing. My grandma would harrass my mom about how we were lucky we weren't all sick all the time.

We were healthy as horses. We had to feign illness to get out of school.

[rllngrk33]

I am glad my kitchen is a little dirty. If you don't expose yourself to germs, you don't build up yer immunity to 'em.

I remember our kitchen growing up. ALWAYS a pile of dishes that needed washing. My grandma would harrass my mom about how we were lucky we weren't all sick all the time.

Sounds like my Kitchen. My Kids are never sick except for common colds. I think some people in this country are overly obsessed with cleanliness and get sick because of it.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I eat over the sink or use paper plates. Hehehe!

[b9]

I think some people in this country are overly obsessed with cleanliness and get sick because of it.

1OO% agreement!!!

Salmonella's
not for fellas of the bachelor type...

Sickly kitchen scaredy cats...
Bogus, stupid hype!

(but microwaving sponges isn't a bad idea!)

[TheWriterInTexas]

I managed a restaurant for two years. Needless to say, I am a handwashing fiend in the kitchen, never cross-contaminate, and use disinfectant everything. Bartowels are used once and then put in the wash.

Nothing is more disgusting than watching some kid take my dirty, germ-filled money, and then proceed to the kitchen to make my food.

FYI, if you want to know whether your restaurant is clean enough to eat in, just look up. If there is dust and crap hanging on the light fixtures, ceiling fans, or the vents are dirty - LEAVE.

Moreover, don't ever let anyone "pull" your food, particularly fried food, before it's ready. That stuff is meant to be fried for a certain period of time; if they are cutting corners and pulling baskets early, don't eat there. You don't know what other important corners they are cutting!

[neverdem]

So if I eat only raw fruit and vegetables without cutting them then I can never get sick.

Never say never in Medicine, but I hope you rinse that stuff.

[JudyB1938]

Since diabetes is an immune-deficiency disease, I have to be very careful. That is why I clean EVERYTHING with hot soapy water and bleach - including my hands when handling things such as raw chicken.

I learned that method from a vet, of all things. A visitor to my house had dogs with parvo in his car. The vet told me to pour bleach outside everywhere the guy had walked. Then to clean the inside with hot soapy bleach water. He said bleach kills the parvo virus. Then I learned bleach even kills the AIDS virus. That's when I became almost obsessive about using bleach to keep illness away.

[neverdem]

Since diabetes is an immune-deficiency disease, I have to be very careful. That is why I clean EVERYTHING with hot soapy water and bleach - including my hands when handling things such as raw chicken.

Diabetes is more complicated than most folks think, and cleanliness is next to Godliness, but don't go overboard. Impaired immune systems also occur with substance abuse, cancer and AIDS, among the most common explanations.

[El Gato]

While I am no way a PETA supporter, I don't think meat becomes inedible if it touches fresh vegetables.

It's the vegetables that are the problem. You cook the meat, killing the bacteria, but you often don't cook the fresh vegetables, or if you do, you might not cook them as well as the meat. (I prefer both somewhate "underdone").

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Putting them in the wash cycle in the dishwasher works, too... I've heard. (I just throw mine away constantly!)