When you think about the dirtiest surface in your home, you likely think of a deep, round, lipped basin that water flushes through.
No, it鈥檚 not your toilet. It鈥檚 your kitchen sink.
Despite the stomach-churning effect questionable bathroom cleanliness may elicit, several studies have concluded that the kitchen is actually the most germ-infested room in the home.
Potentially dangerous bacteria have been found to not only frequent the space where you prepare and eat food, but also the place where you wash your dishes.
鈥淭here is more fecal bacteria in the kitchen than there is in the bathroom,鈥� , renowned germ researcher and professor of microbiology at the University of Arizona, told CTVNews.ca.
Widely-cited research by Gerba, , found that kitchens were more heavily contaminated with bacteria鈥攊ncluding fecal bacteria鈥攖han bathrooms, with the toilet seat being the least contaminated site. The study found that the most contaminated surfaces included the kitchen sponge, the dishcloth, and the sink drain area.
With that in mind, CTVNews.ca asked Gerba and two food safety experts to weigh in on the most hygienic way to hand-wash dishes.
We asked whether you should soak your dishes in hot water; if the splatter from dirty dishwater can spread germs; and if we should do away with sponges once and for all. Here are some of the most important takeaways.
鈥楽oap doesn鈥檛 kill anything鈥�
Don鈥檛 be fooled by soaps labelled antibacterial. According to experts, one of the most common misconceptions about dishwashing can be summed up in one quote: 鈥淪oap doesn鈥檛 kill anything.鈥�
鈥淪oap is not a sanitizer. It鈥檚 not intended to kill microorganisms,鈥� Claudia Narvaez, food safety specialist and professor at the University of Manitoba, explained to CTVNews.ca.
鈥淚t will kill some bacteria, but not the ones that are more resistant to environmental conditions, like salmonella or E. coli.鈥�
But that鈥檚 not to say that you should forgo the suds the next time you fill up the sink. Dish soap acts as a degreaser, allowing food particles and fat to be removed from your dishes and cooking utensils.
Without soap, you may leave behind traces of organic matter鈥攖he perfect breeding ground for bacteria, according to both Narvaez and Gerba.
鈥淚鈥檇 wash your dishes within half an hour, otherwise bacteria will start to grow,鈥� Gerba said.
Use bleach or hot water for true sanitization
Both food safety experts we spoke with agreed that the only way to truly sanitize your dishes when hand washing is to soak them in hot water, or a diluted bleach solution鈥攅specially when working with raw meat.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e working with chicken you鈥檙e right to soak it鈥攂ut don鈥檛 soak it in soap because it won鈥檛 do anything,鈥� explained Keith Warriner, professor of food safety at the University of Guelph.
鈥淧lus, if you just soak it in soapy water and it splashes, you now have salmonella everywhere.鈥�
After washing your dishes with soap and water to remove any left-over gunk, Warriner and Narvaez both suggest soaking them in warm water and one teaspoon of bleach to sanitize. If you鈥檙e wary about using bleach, soak dishes in hot water (at least 77 degrees Celsius) for two minutes to kill any remaining bacteria.
But does the average person really need to sanitize their dishes? Not all experts agree.
鈥淯nless you are immunocompromised, or have small children, I don鈥檛 think you need to do that,鈥� Gerba said.
鈥淚 would do it if I had elderly people in the home, or children under 5 years old, because you want to reduce any errors that occur.鈥�
However, all three experts agree that it鈥檚 important to disinfect your kitchen sink and surrounding countertops at least once a week to kill off any harmful bacteria.
Ditch the sponge
Despite Gerba being more laid back when it comes to dishwashing, his research does give germaphobes a little retribution.
鈥淚n terms of fecal bacteria in the kitchen, the sponge is number one and the sink is number two,鈥� he said, noting that in previous studies he found traces of salmonella in 15 per cent of household kitchen sponges.
If you choose to use a sponge, experts suggest changing your sponge every week, or opt for a plastic brush instead. The plastic bristles dry quicker, allowing less chance for bacteria growth.
Whatever you do, make sure your dishes dry properly
When it comes to hand washing, the most important factor in killing germs is a good air dry.
All three experts agree that using a drying rack yields the best, germ-free results.
But, whatever you do, don鈥檛 pick up the tea towel to get the job done quicker. According to both Narvaez and Warriner, if you use a towel to dry the dishes, you are essentially undoing any of the work you鈥檝e done.
鈥淭hat tea towel is used for everything and no one can remember when it was last washed,鈥� said Warriner.
