When you are using the kitchen, safety should be your number one priority. This not only covers things like knife safety, but controlling that invisible killer: bacteria.

Whenever you use food that is unsafe to eat raw, especially chicken, you should always clean the work surface and utensils thoroughly. The absolute best product to use, without a doubt, is bleach. This liquid, usually a chlorine based solution, can destroy bacteria by either dehydrating or dissolving them.

But, before you go and soak your counter-top in pure bleach, know that bleach is also very destructive. It doesn’t just destroys bacteria, it can also destroy your belongings, or yourself. As such, it is recommended to use mixture of water and bleach.

The mixture is recommended because full-strength bleach is way too strong for simple disinfecting or sanitizing.

BLEACH SANITIZER

Combine 5 ml (1 tsp) of bleach with 750 ml (3 cups) of water. After cleaning, spray sanitizer on the surfaces and let stand briefly. Rinse.

WARNING

• Do not mix bleach with other solutions such as toilet cleaners, rust removers, acids, or products containing ammonia. Mixing these chemicals with bleach may produce toxic hazardous gases.

Yes, bleach is incredibly strong, and if you want to use it on your cooking surfaces you need a very small amount.

However, even with this extremely small amount, it can still be very dangerous.

• Make sure you don’t have any cuts or other open wounds,
• Be sure to label the bottle clearly,
• Wear an apron. A splash of bleach solution will still whiten any clothes you are wearing,
• Keep this out of the hands of children.

This bleach mixture is extremely useful if you cook with food like chicken. Remember that raw chicken contains potentially lethal amounts of salmonella, and you must be very dutiful in cleaning.

Using a bleach solution allows you to easily clean your cookware, utensils, and cooking surfaces.