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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

travellersc3 Mon 26-Dec-16 16:00:04

I am very careful with chopping boards. If it has had raw meat on it, it goes directly in the sink for cleaning!

abigailflo Mon 26-Dec-16 16:02:24

I use my steamer cleaner all around the house it kills germs and is environmentally friendly

tarby Mon 26-Dec-16 17:43:22

Keep old clothes (past recycling) to use as rags. Especially useful for a deep clean around the toilet.. then throw away.

ali991 Mon 26-Dec-16 17:45:21

Make sure hands are clean when handling food. Keep raw and cooked food sepearte in the fridge, the cooked at the top/

coz Mon 26-Dec-16 17:53:33

Keep raw meat away from other food. Clean your surfaces, handles, doorknobs, switches regularly.

pooohbear2811 Mon 26-Dec-16 18:12:42

I tend to be quite fussy in my kitchen, not just form germs but cross contamination of food allergies as well.
I keep cooked meats and foods above raw food in the fridge, and the foods I have allergies to are on the top shelf so there is no risk of contaminants dropping onto the food I eat. By the same method the cooked food being above the raw food means that juices are not dripping from raw food onto cooked foods.
I feel to many people go far to far with "germ busting" and that for normal people with normal health then keeping food separate in a fridge at the correct temperature is half the battle. Separate chopping boards for vegetable and meat is also necessary to prevent cross contamination. Making sure any food is cooked and reheated to the correct temperature and then cooled quickly of cooling is enough to keep most people safe.

laurenold Mon 26-Dec-16 18:29:12

We tend to use colour coded chopping boards for handling different foods, such as raw meat on one and vegetables on another. We also use anti-bac on any surfaces used after preparing meals to stop contamination.

tabbaz Mon 26-Dec-16 18:44:18

Steam is my new found friend when it comes to home hygiene - You can get such amazing steam cleaners now they are so powerful. Admittedly they are not fragranced but a quick wipe afterwards and job done smile

squishylove1989 Mon 26-Dec-16 19:07:58

I use different chopping boards - I have a large wooden chopping board for meat and a smaller one for veggies etc so I don't get them contaminated. I also wipe down my surfaces etc when I have cut meat just in case there is any blood. I wash my floors with Dettol and we wash our hands before handling any food.

When it comes to the fridge, I give it a regular clean out with hot soapy water. We keep meat in the bottom of the fridge and try not to cram the fridge full.

Tea towels are changed regularly, washing up is done with hot water only and the drainer is also washed regularly.

Wow...I must sound like such a clean freak!

sscrase Mon 26-Dec-16 19:37:09

Don't get too hung up on things, follow basic cleanliness and you'll be fine. IF re-heating though then just make sure it's properly hot all the way through for anything.

daisyduck Mon 26-Dec-16 19:57:14

I'm a great bleach fan and and the kitchen surfaces , chopping boards and sink etc get a good going over a couple of times a week. I also believe that we need to build natural immunity so I'm not fanatical about it.

peanutmum Mon 26-Dec-16 21:19:06

I think CONTAINMENT is the answer.

Keep outside dirt out of the kitchen, dogs, cats, soil off feet,
Unpack food in kitchen, off a 'sprayed' work surface, and into correct storage, freezer, fridge, vegetable rack, fruit bowl.
Never mix old and new food, never mix cooked with uncooked
Keep meal preparation in clean area, with clean hands, apron
Cook thoroughly at right temperature for correct time, serve as soon as possible
Storage left-overs for a short time, all food should be labelled correctly.
DO NOT eat food off the FLOOR !!!!!

knitnut Mon 26-Dec-16 21:48:31

As hiddenmichelle says, especially washing hands before and after everything.

Jinty85 Mon 26-Dec-16 21:52:37

Use a different chopping board for raw meat.

tjoc123 Mon 26-Dec-16 22:03:47

Always remind all diners to wash hands thoroughly before eating.

tubbyj Mon 26-Dec-16 23:31:17

Wary of tea towels spreading cross infection, never use them to dry my hands after washing and change on a regular basis

Piggypoo Mon 26-Dec-16 23:42:51

In the kitchen I use plain bleach for germ killing, it is a multi-use item, can be diluted or used neat for cleaning sinks, drains, worktops and cleaning the floors. For general germ killing I use Dettol spray, as it's non-taint and non-odour so is perfect for all round the house. I like to save money by just using a couple of effective products and these two are all that I need

mrspale Tue 27-Dec-16 00:04:07

Prepare and store raw and cooked food separately
Keep raw or uncooked food (especially meat and fish) at the bottom of your fridge in a covered container

Nelliemoser Tue 27-Dec-16 00:31:46

Good grief they are still on about Dettol.

cardiffbird Tue 27-Dec-16 04:01:30

One thing I AM scrupulous about is hand hygiene (outside of the kitchen also) which I think comes hand in hand with food hygiene really. Hands are washed after and before handling food, when swapping over from raw to cooked foods during food prep/cooking, after handling food packaging containing raw meat/fish etc.

I use simple cleaning products to clean the kitchen, ensure all food storage areas are thoroughly clean and free from food debris, use the correct chopping boards for the correct foods (colour coded) and store foods correctly in the fridge and freezer.

I don't overly bleach/disinfect EVERYTHING, but tap handles, door handles (including fridge and freezer) are done more or less daily with a dettol spray in a can and I bleach all dishcloths overnight with a weekly cycle in the washing machine too.

sloan Tue 27-Dec-16 04:47:35

Make sure your hands are washed before and many times during for preparation.

Bellroyd Tue 27-Dec-16 07:29:15

Always let cooked food cool completely before putting in fridge or freezer. Never re-heat food more than once and when you do, do it thoroughly. Invest in a food thermometer.

Jf1968 Tue 27-Dec-16 07:58:29

Vinegar is one of the most powerful tools to combat bacteria. Wipe all the surfaces in the bathroom with a clean cloth soaked in vinegar and pour a little down the drains. Once a week, rinse out the washbasin with two cups of vinegar.

Wimpet Tue 27-Dec-16 08:05:26

My tip is nightly bleaching of all cleaning cloths and all bins to be done dettoled each time they are emptied. Simple and easy to keep up regime.

silversand12 Tue 27-Dec-16 08:59:46

I agree that many are over zealous about hygiene and bacteria these days - personally I feel it does us no favours in the long run, I think it makes us more vulnerable.

I would say basic common sense and you can't go far wrong! Though the one thing that does always make me a bit uncomfortable is raw meat, especially chicken, and the methods I have in place for that are to make sure there is nothing else close by, any packaging goes straight in the dustbin and as soon as I've finished handling it I wash all utensils that have had contact and my hands thoroughly before I do anything else.