KITCHEN: HOW CLEAN IS THAT COUNTERTOP?

Countertops are no place to put purses, packages, school bags, mail, or newspapers. Illness-causing bacteria from these kinds of items can lurk on countertops and contaminate your foods and utensils. Be sure to wash countertops frequently with hot soapy water or antibacterial cleaners.

– CAN YOU FIND WHERE GERMS GROW IN THE KITCHEN?

Dishcloths, towels, sponges, counters, sinks, and cutting boards are some examples of germ-magnet items in your kitchen. To minimize germs:

– Replace sponges frequently and disinfect after each use
– Wash cutting boards, counters, and the sink with warm, soapy water
– Wash dishcloths in the HOT cycle of the dishwasher

Fridge

– QUICK OPEN AND CLOSE!

Wondering what you want to eat?

Putting groceries away? Don’t leave the refrigerator door open.

Being careless with opening and closing your fridge door wastes 50 to 120kWh of electricity a vear. You could run your dishwasher 20 times with 50kWh of electricity

Conserve energy by limiting how long you keep the door open.

– HOW LONG CAN YOU SAFELY KEEP LEFTOVERS?

Cooked leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 4 days; and raw poultry and ground meats, one to 2 days. Check the expiration dates on eggs, lunchmeats, dairy products, and other perishable foods to make sure they are safe to eat.

– WATCH WHAT YOU STORE IN THE DOOR:

Never store fresh milk in the door of your fridge. Milk is especially sensitive to changes in temperature. Opening and closing of the door can cause temperature change enough to affect to safety of Milk.

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WHAT'S IN THE KITCHEN SINK?

Food particles in the sink from cooking or from rinsing and soaking dishes can leave illness-causing bacteria, including E. coli and salmonella. To make sure these nasty germs aren’t lingering in your sink, do more than just rinse it. Clean and sanitize it daily.

HOW TO CONSERVE ENERGY WHEN RUNNING YOUR DISHWASHER:

– Run only full loads.
– Use short cycles for all but the dirtiest of dishes.
– Don’t use the “rinse hold” setting, it uses 3 to 7 more gallons of hot water for each use.
– If you use an air-dry setting instead of the heat-dry setting, you can lower your dishwasher’s energy use by 15% to 50%!

– WATCH WHAT YOU STORE IN THE DOOR

Never store fresh milk in the door of your fridge. Milk is especially sensitive to changes in temperature. Opening and closing of the door can cause temperature change enough to affect to safety of Milk.

– HOW LONG CAN YOU SAFELY KEEP LEFTOVERS?

Cooked leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 4 days; and raw poultry and ground meats, one to 2 days. Check the expiration dates on eggs, lunchmeats, dairy products, and other perishable foods to make sure they are safe to eat.

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