The most unhygienic things in your kitchen revealed - and how to get them clean

Could your dishcloths be making your sick? When was the last time you washed your tea towels? And do we really need to bleach the sink more than once a month? We asked an expert to find out.

Knobs, door handles, and buttons

The buttons and dials on your kitchen appliances could be a germ-fest.

“People often neglect to clean these areas of the kitchen,” says Danielle Mason, a cleaning content creator or ‘cleanfluencer’ who creates tutorials and videos on TikTok and Instagram.

“Most of the time, they don’t think it is important, but as you’re commonly handling raw meat and food, it’s extremely important to keep these areas clean, due to cross-contamination.

“Always sanitise with a cloth - I like to do this with Zoflora, as it leaves a great smell afterwards, and kills bacteria from dirty fingers.”

Cloths

“I always leave my cloth to soak in bleach before going to bed every night,†says Mason.

“This enables a new start in the morning with no bacteria. Also, make sure you’re replacing the cloths - I would suggest a new one every two weeks, whilst still bleaching every night.”

Sponges

Mason stresses sponges are unhygienic, as they’re constantly damp and can carry E. coli.

“Avoid a sponge where possible.”

Dish towels

You should have one for every day of the week, as they carry so many bacteria and germs.

Chopping boards

“You should have a different colour for different types of food, one for meat, fruit, and other foods,” advises Mason.

“The best way to clean them is in a dishwasher, as it’s good to get rid of all the germs due to the very high heat. If you don’t like the dishwasher, then boil the kettle water and leave the chopping boards to soak in it.”

Kitchen sink

“Baking soda and vinegar is the best way to clean your sink out, or bleach, but you must be careful with bleach, as it can stay in the bottom of your sink, depending on the material it’s made of. I clean my sink out every day.”

Fridges

“Deep clean [your fridge] every two months. A normal cleaning - the wiping of shelves - should be done every other day with soapy water,” Mason continues.

Bins

“Make sure you keep rubbish bins away from your house, and make sure you empty your bin as soon as it’s full,” advises Mason. 

I personally do not keep a bin in the kitchen, I use a bag and I take that out by the end of the day, but if you are using a bin, make sure you bleach it with hot kettle water.