Unlike some other types of meat, chicken is one that should always be cooked through. There is no rare or medium when it comes to chicken. Get that temperature above 165 degrees Fahrenheit, period. Raw chicken can harbor dangerous bacteria, and the only way to guarantee safe eating is to cook it completely. However, just taking a meat thermometer and checking the chickens temperature is not enough. There are other sneaky ways you could potentially expose your body to those dangerous germs.
Its important to be very cautious when preparing any type of raw meat, and chicken is no exception. The CDC even says to make sure the chicken is kept away from any already-prepared foods in order to prevent chicken juice from splashing onto something thats ready to eat. Its that serious. If youre preparing the chicken in or around your sink, there are a few things to know as well.
How to properly clean your sink
If youve simply been rinsing your sink with soapy water, youre doing it wrong. There are actually two steps involved when it comes to keeping your kitchen clean, including the sink: cleaning and sanitizing.
According to the USDA, cleaning with soap alone doesnt necessarily kill bacteria. Rather, it removes “dirt, grime, and some bacteria from a surface” without actually killing all those little germs. Cleaning is just the setup for the sanitization process. After youve cleaned the sinks surface with soap and water, you need to sanitize your sink to make sure it is truly germ-free. The USDA recommends either a homemade solution, which can be made by combining 1 gallon of water with 1 tablespoon of liquid chlorine bleach, or a store-bought sanitizing liquid or wipe.
If you dont want to use bleach, Angi provides various homemade solution alternatives, with ingredients such as rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and vinegar with lemon.
You’re about to sit down to a nice meal with a freshly cooked chicken breast. You have your dishes in the dishwasher and you’ve finished wiping down your surfaces. You’re done in your kitchen, right? Wrong! Whenever you cook raw meat or poultry, make sure you clean and THEN sanitize not just your surfaces but also the kitchen sink. Wiping or rinsing these areas is not enough to kill any bacteria that may have spread around your kitchen while you were preparing your food. Here’s your foolproof plan to leave your kitchen spotless and eliminate the germs you can’t see.
What does sanitizing do? Including a sanitizing step in your cleaning routine actually reduces the number of foodborne illness-causing pathogens that survive in your kitchen – sanitizing kills bacteria. However, sanitizing is most effective AFTER you have cleaned those surfaces. So, don’t skip the clean step!
What does cleaning do? Cleaning is the first step to get rid of bacteria from these surfaces. Foodborne-illness causing bacteria can remain on surfaces for a very long time. Campylobacter can survive in your kitchen for up to 4 hours, and Salmonella can last for up to 32 hours (and both can be found on raw poultry). Cleaning with warm, soapy water can physically remove dirt, grim and some bacteria from a surface, but it does NOT kill bacteria.
Your dishwasher can also do an effective job of cleaning and sanitizing your utensils and cutting boards if they are made of materials that are non-porous (e.g. acrylic, plastic, glass, and solid wood) and are dishwasher safe. However, if you can’t or don’t want to put your cutting boards and utensils in the dishwasher, then wash them first and then use sanitizing solution to make sure they are clean AND sanitized. Pour your sanitizing solution on the cutting boards and let it stand for several minutes or use it as a soak for your utensils. Next, rinse them and air or pat them dry with clean paper towels. With these two steps, clean THEN sanitize, you can knock out any foodborne illness-causing bacteria in your kitchen!
2. THEN Sanitize. Sanitizing is the second, but equally important step to removing bacteria from your kitchen. This step will kill any remaining bacteria. Many different sanitizers can be used: an easy homemade version is to make a solution of 1 tablespoon of liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water, or you can use a commercial sanitizer or sanitizing wipe. Pour or spray your sanitizing solution on surfaces and wipe them clean with a paper towel. Be sure they are completely dry before using those surfaces or your sink again. If using commercial sanitizers, follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the label. Some commercial sanitizers require food surfaces to be rinsed after using the sanitizer.
PROPER SINK WASH AFTER PORK AND CHICKEN
How do you clean a kitchen sink?
To clean your surfaces and your kitchen sink, use warm, soapy water to wash these areas. Wipe them clean with single-use or paper towels. If you use kitchen towels for cleaning, they should be washed frequently in the hot cycle of your washing machine. And don’t forget to wash your hands with soap and running water to keep them clean too.
What to do after roasting a chicken?
After roasting a chicken, the last thing you want to do is wash dishes. But your mom taught you well, so you clean them up and then immediately get in your pajamas and turn on Black Mirror. However, you forgot one important step: You need to clean your kitchen sink.
Should you sanitize Your Kitchen Sink?
Wrong! Whenever you cook raw meat or poultry, make sure you clean and THEN sanitize not just your surfaces but also the kitchen sink. Wiping or rinsing these areas is not enough to kill any bacteria that may have spread around your kitchen while you were preparing your food.
How do you clean a dirty kitchen sink with baking soda?
Sprinkle baking soda all around: Because baking soda is only mildly abrasive, it will help break up food particles without harming the sink surface. Add the soap: Wearing rubber gloves, squirt a little soap onto your sponge. Add hot water: Adding a little hot water at a time… start scrubbing.