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Tell Dettol your food hygiene tips and tricks to be in with a chance to win a £300 voucher! NOW CLOSED

(324 Posts)
EmmaGransnet (GNHQ) Thu 15-Dec-16 10:29:34

We all know that nasty illnesses such as E.coli and Salmonella can spread around our kitchen if we don’t keep it clean and prevent cross-contamination. Dettol want to hear about how you protect yourself from these illnesses.

Here’s what Dettol have to say: “Whilst Dettol started by preventing infection and sickness in hospitals in the UK, our brand’s mission was always much bigger. In order to help keep people healthy, Dettol needed to protect families as part of their every-day lives in the home. Fuelled by our passion to do more and backed by our expertise in killing germs, Dettol products are designed to help you protect your family from harmful germs that can cause illness. Our range of Dettol Surface Cleansers kill 99.9% of bacteria and viruses and can be used all over the home. Available in a range of formats such as trigger spray as well as surface or floor wipes.”

Are you a food hygiene goddess, using multiple chopping boards and organising your fridge to prevent cross-contamination? Or are you unaware of or unconcerned by the causes of cross-contamination? What methods do you use to stop the spread of germs and bacteria whilst preparing food?

Please share your understanding and methods used to prevent cross-contamination in the kitchen and you will be entered into a prize draw where one gransnetter will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list). This thread will close and the prize draw will take place on 29th December.

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!

GNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

bikerbill Fri 23-Dec-16 19:08:09

I have a compartment in my fridge where I keep uncooked meat so it does not contaminate other stuff. I keep wiping down kitchen surfaces and I wash my hands loads of times a day otherwise I am just careful about keeping things clean

woo69 Fri 23-Dec-16 19:26:08

I don't use any special cleaners or disinfectants in my home, I always make sure uncooked food is below cooked in the fridge and don't but cooked things in the fridge until they have cooled and I keep a check on the fridge temperature and adjust it when necessary (summer/winter).
I wash up in extremely hot water (asbestos hands) and always use a good washing up liquid. I use a different cloth to the washing up one for wiping down the worktops and then steam clean the worktops, cooker, cupboard doors and floor about once a month.
I use the steam cleaner in the bathroom weekly.
We never have any problems that could be associated with hygiene

sweir1 Fri 23-Dec-16 22:14:15

I make sure door handles are cleaned thoroughly

maxdons Fri 23-Dec-16 22:31:10

I used to wash raw chicken, but discovered this is the wrong thing to do as bacteria can be splashed onto the work surface and cooking equipment.

emilybc Sat 24-Dec-16 00:17:26

A bit of hot water and bicarb of soda is all you need - Dettol if you really need to disinfect!

pikey35 Sat 24-Dec-16 09:31:02

I don't use wooden chopping boards - as they score and it can be hard to disinfect all of the little gaps.
I tend to use anti-bac spray on everything. And anti-bac washing up liquid. With many pets lots of handwashing as well! I don't go to the legths my nan used to though of bleaching EVERYTHING! Still have vivid memories of the smell :/

Bestbuddy1977 Sat 24-Dec-16 20:59:47

As a nurse in maternity I know just how important hygiene is. Without a doubt hand washing is one of the biggest problems for spreading infection. It isn't just something that people in hospital visiting or as a nurse should get in the habit of, this should be used throughout our daily life's at home included, especially when we handle food. I can not also stress enough that it's good & correct hand washing that is what counts.
I use disposable disinfectant wipes around the home as I find them far more hygienic than a cloth that sits around breeding germs.
I also like using a dishwasher at home as things get cleaner & kill lots of bugs in the high temperature.
I'm not a meat eater but would most definitely prepare meat on a plastic chopping board so it can have any bugs on it killed in the dishwasher.

Sunshine9 Sat 24-Dec-16 21:01:42

Really good hand washing before and after. Making sure you clean surfaces and lift kettles and toasters etc and clean underneath them x

compy99 Sat 24-Dec-16 23:15:34

food storage very important, keeping food separate in the fridge, we are vegetarian so we don't have to worry about meat storage/cooking. make sure you have a thermometer in your fridge to make sure cold enough, use antibacterial cleaning agents to keep chopping board and work top/prep areas clean. clean as you go along.

emmal01 Sat 24-Dec-16 23:23:15

Smell fish and meat before cooking , never use same utensils for meat or fish and veg

Bella99 Sun 25-Dec-16 00:00:02

I do keep my raw meats on the bottom shelf so they don't drip and I am extra cautious about washing down surfaces where raw meat/fish has been, along with washing my hands more frequently and making sure the areas around the sink are cleaned properly where utensils have been left before washing. However, I don't bother with separate chopping boards for everything, I think a good wash in soapy water suffices. I do use kitchen sprays several times through the day but more because I am concerned about keeping things clean and tidy than from an overriding sense of doom from bugs and I have to admit I love the smell of cleaning products.

lurchergirly Sun 25-Dec-16 08:13:00

I just do what I was taught as a girl - hands washed, surfaces clean, do not mix raw and cooked meats.

hughese Sun 25-Dec-16 08:54:41

I have colour coded chopping boards and keep raw meat at the bottom of the fridge.

marymod Sun 25-Dec-16 13:45:03

I always freeze chicken - use freezer bags and ensure the chicken touches nothing else. Everything possible goes in the dishwasher as the extreme heat is higher than my hands can stand and the dish cloths and tea towels are washed regularly.

PeanutsNan Sun 25-Dec-16 14:06:11

I ran a restaurant for a few years so know all about compartmentalizing cooked and raw foods in the Fridge , I always use separate chopping boards for preparing meat & Chicken , Never wash the Chicken under a Tap before cooking . Washing hands before preparation is basic hygiene but after handling raw meats its always best to wash them again . I find that in todays society we are consumed with Bad Bacteria horror stories , its a wonder any of todays Children have any Immune systems left , When I was young it was a case of what doesn't kill you makes you Stronger .

renaplumridge Sun 25-Dec-16 18:24:29

Soap and hot water should do the trick

Lisapaige24 Sun 25-Dec-16 18:36:55

Wash hands before and after preparing food , clean surfaces before and after preparing food , wash food before cooking, use colour coded chopping board and knives, keep food separate in the fridge veg and salad in the drawers, meat and fish on separate shelves , dettol can be used on all surfaces including flooring so I always use this brand as it's much easier than having lots of different products.

grannybiker Sun 25-Dec-16 19:11:22

We have a septic tank that doesn't work properly if we use too may harsh chemicals. (Usually get it going again by chucking down some roadkill, LOL!) I use good old fashioned bleach on work surfaces and am careful when handling raw meat to avoid cross contamination.

foxylady83 Mon 26-Dec-16 03:44:40

I use different chopping boards for different types of food groups.I clean as I go too keep on top of mess on surfaces.

libra10 Mon 26-Dec-16 07:01:27

The main ways to stop bacteria spreading are to use common sense.

Always thoroughly wash hands before preparing or eating foods. Store raw meat (in particular) at the bottom of the fridge, away from other foods, and ensure that the meat is cooked thoroughly to destroy any germs. Don't wash chicken before cooking as germs could splash on other surfaces. Cooking should kill any bacteria.

Wash kitchen and bathroom surfaces regularly with Dettol (or similar), and don't forget to wipe buttons and drawer handles.

All these measures help to keep the family free from bacteria.

greig23 Mon 26-Dec-16 11:58:15

My tip is easy, Washing raw chicken before cooking it can increase your risk of food poisoning from campylobacter.
Splashing water from washing chicken under a tap can spread the bacteria on to hands, work surfaces, clothing and cooking equipment.

so dont wash raw chicken before cooking, just put it in the oven- simple

grannytotwins Mon 26-Dec-16 13:00:32

I love the Dettol that you add to the washing. It's brilliant for reducing the number of boil washes I do. I don't use Dettol or anything similar around the rest of the house including the kitchen. My mother was a nursing sister in the days before antibiotics and she was scrupulous about hygiene in the home. She taught me how to keep contamination under control and the importance of washing everything, especially my hands and how to keep things apart in the fridge that could cross contaminate. We never went down with any food poisoning. I think though, for the younger generation, these products can be useful, as they haven't had the benefit of my mother's advice!

cluckyhen0 Mon 26-Dec-16 13:20:43

I buy large packs of meat to be split into freezer packs and when separating I wear disposable gloves and use foil to cover the metal pan that I rest the bags in - makes it easier on clean up. We also use tupperware storage in the fridge and are lucky that our fridge has a separate meat compartment.

zeenie Mon 26-Dec-16 13:26:45

wipe down surfaces after using. Especially after preparing raw meat

emziemay Mon 26-Dec-16 14:31:15

I have different chopping boards for different foods. I do carry hand sanitiser for use after travelling on tubes etc.