I"d like to get the kitchen work areas as germ-free as I can without
going overboard.
Have read several threads on the subject and want to subject my
plastic cutting boards to a clorox treatment.
Anyone know the recommended soaking time for cutting boards, sponges
and dish cloths (the wet thing) - Mike

On Fri, 30 Jan 2004 15:12:52 -0500, Michael Horowitz
> wrote:

>I"d like to get the kitchen work areas as germ-free as I can without
>going overboard.
>Have read several threads on the subject and want to subject my
>plastic cutting boards to a clorox treatment.
>Anyone know the recommended soaking time for cutting boards, sponges
>and dish cloths (the wet thing) - Mike

Look into what is done in hospitals and bioresearch. Slight overkill,
but only slight.

Spraying or dunking with a 10% bleach solution in water, and letting
it dry, seems to be common and effective.

Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
------------------------------------------------
at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom

Michael Horowitz wrote:
>
> I"d like to get the kitchen work areas as germ-free as I can without
> going overboard.
> Have read several threads on the subject and want to subject my
> plastic cutting boards to a clorox treatment.
> Anyone know the recommended soaking time for cutting boards, sponges
> and dish cloths (the wet thing) - Mike

About a minute. Couple tablespoons per cup of water (of course, when I
was cooking professionally it was full strength on the wooden surfaces,
and let dry overnight).

Sponges a lot less, maybe 30 seconds or they will dissolve. Be sure to
squish out the sponges with lots of water afterwords, or they will
dissolve. They'll dissolve anyway (if you're getting the idea) but will
last somewhat longer if you don't soak them long and rinse out after.

That's what I do every Friday afternoon.

B/

Brian Mailman wrote:

> About a minute. Couple tablespoons per cup of water (of course, when I
> was cooking professionally it was full strength on the wooden surfaces,
> and let dry overnight).

For wooden tables/boards used for handling bread dough, scrape clean
and oil. For wooden cutting boards, wash well with soap and water,
dry, and oil. For wooden cutting boards used for fish and fowl, I
don't remember what you need to do. Plastic always needs bleach. Be
sure to rinse the bleach off afterwards.

David

Gary S. <Idontwantspam@net> wrote:

> Spraying or dunking with a 10% bleach solution in water, and letting
> it dry, seems to be common and effective.

That's what we did at the food co-op, when packing raw flesh of any
type.

What we use at work to sanitize food prep (and other) surfaces is a
solution from a product called "Kay-5." We get it in packets, one
packet to 2.5 gallons water (if I remember correctly) kills most
nasties.

On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 14:35:56 GMT, Blanche Nonken >
wrote:

>Gary S. <Idontwantspam@net> wrote:
>
>> Spraying or dunking with a 10% bleach solution in water, and letting
>> it dry, seems to be common and effective.
>
>That's what we did at the food co-op, when packing raw flesh of any
>type.
>
>What we use at work to sanitize food prep (and other) surfaces is a
>solution from a product called "Kay-5." We get it in packets, one
>packet to 2.5 gallons water (if I remember correctly) kills most
>nasties.

There are many commercial options for the food prep and health care
industries. No room for poor cleanliness. I have used something
similar to what you are mentioning, a packet of liquid mixed with a
large amount of water.

But in the medical area, bleach is often used, and there was a thing
started a few years ago amongst campers to clean dishes with a three
stage process (warm soapy water with scrub, hot clean water to rinse,
then a bleach solution and air dry).

The advantages of bleach are price and availability, essentially every
grocery store in the country. And, I already have some downstairs.

Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
------------------------------------------------
at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom

Feuer wrote:
>
> Brian Mailman wrote:
>
> > About a minute. Couple tablespoons per cup of water (of course, when I
> > was cooking professionally it was full strength on the wooden surfaces,
> > and let dry overnight).
>
> For wooden tables/boards used for handling bread dough, scrape clean
> and oil. For wooden cutting boards, wash well with soap and water,
> dry, and oil.

I don't think you need to oil (mineral, not vegetable oil) boards that
frequently. In fact, it might be contraindicative if the board starts
oozing oil and trapping whatever floats by.

B/

Last time I read some info on this, seems that scrubbing cutting boards
with a soapy brush was a good way to start. There seemed to be plenty of
evidence that straight vinegar is as good a disinfectant on both wooden
and plastic cutting boards & surfaces and "kept" longer. Seems that the
lowered pH prevented the nasties from growing. Course instead of your
food prep areas smelling like perfumy laundry it smells like pickles.
Then again vinegar won't put white spots on yer favorite jeans. I
didn't keep the sites, but if you want to look, google in
rec.food.cooking - was last year I believe.
Edrena


Michael Horowitz wrote:

> I"d like to get the kitchen work areas as germ-free as I can without
> going overboard.
> Have read several threads on the subject and want to subject my
> plastic cutting boards to a clorox treatment.
> Anyone know the recommended soaking time for cutting boards, sponges
> and dish cloths (the wet thing) - Mike

The Joneses wrote:

> Last time I read some info on this, seems that scrubbing cutting boards
> with a soapy brush was a good way to start. There seemed to be plenty of
> evidence that straight vinegar is as good a disinfectant on both wooden
> and plastic cutting boards & surfaces and "kept" longer. Seems that the
> lowered pH prevented the nasties from growing.

That's true. But an even more effective sterilizing method is to use
distilled vinegar in combination with hydrogen peroxide (from two
separate containers - don't mix them before applying to the board).
Reduces bacterial contamination to lower than bleach levels. Pour or
spray onto the surface, let sit for a minute and drain. Wipe with
paper toweling or let air-dry.

These two chemicals won't dissolve wooden boards, sponges and human
skin like bleach will.

And the two liquids have the added advantage of being useful for
washing any foods suspected of being contaminated without making them
taste like laundry products.

Pastorio

> Course instead of your
> food prep areas smelling like perfumy laundry it smells like pickles.
> Then again vinegar won't put white spots on yer favorite jeans. I
> didn't keep the sites, but if you want to look, google in
> rec.food.cooking - was last year I believe.
> Edrena
>
>
> Michael Horowitz wrote:
>
>
>>I"d like to get the kitchen work areas as germ-free as I can without
>>going overboard.
>>Have read several threads on the subject and want to subject my
>>plastic cutting boards to a clorox treatment.
>>Anyone know the recommended soaking time for cutting boards, sponges
>>and dish cloths (the wet thing) - Mike
>
>

"Bob Pastorio" > wrote in message
...
> The Joneses wrote:
>
> > Last time I read some info on this, seems that scrubbing cutting boards
> > with a soapy brush was a good way to start. There seemed to be plenty of
> > evidence that straight vinegar is as good a disinfectant on both wooden
> > and plastic cutting boards & surfaces and "kept" longer. Seems that the
> > lowered pH prevented the nasties from growing.
>
> That's true. But an even more effective sterilizing method is to use
> distilled vinegar in combination with hydrogen peroxide (from two
> separate containers - don't mix them before applying to the board).
> Reduces bacterial contamination to lower than bleach levels. Pour or
> spray onto the surface, let sit for a minute and drain. Wipe with
> paper toweling or let air-dry.
>
> These two chemicals won't dissolve wooden boards, sponges and human
> skin like bleach will.
>
> And the two liquids have the added advantage of being useful for
> washing any foods suspected of being contaminated without making them
> taste like laundry products.
>
> Pastorio

Hey Bob, do you have any reference for this approach? I just added a section
on cleaning cutting boards to the FAQ and will add this also, even without a
reference (except to you). But I'm curious how this came about.

SCUBApix wrote:

> "Bob Pastorio" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>The Joneses wrote:
>>
>>>Last time I read some info on this, seems that scrubbing cutting boards
>>>with a soapy brush was a good way to start. There seemed to be plenty of
>>>evidence that straight vinegar is as good a disinfectant on both wooden
>>>and plastic cutting boards & surfaces and "kept" longer. Seems that the
>>>lowered pH prevented the nasties from growing.
>>
>>That's true. But an even more effective sterilizing method is to use
>>distilled vinegar in combination with hydrogen peroxide (from two
>>separate containers - don't mix them before applying to the board).
>>Reduces bacterial contamination to lower than bleach levels. Pour or
>>spray onto the surface, let sit for a minute and drain. Wipe with
>>paper toweling or let air-dry.
>>
>>These two chemicals won't dissolve wooden boards, sponges and human
>>skin like bleach will.
>>
>>And the two liquids have the added advantage of being useful for
>>washing any foods suspected of being contaminated without making them
>>taste like laundry products.
>>
>>Pastorio
>
> Hey Bob, do you have any reference for this approach? I just added a section
> on cleaning cutting boards to the FAQ and will add this also, even without a
> reference (except to you). But I'm curious how this came about.

It came out of a conversation I had with some people from Virginia
Tech. Susan Sumner has done a good bit of research on it and has
published some of her work.

Several mentions:
http://my.execpc.com/~mjstouff/articles/vinegar.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinegar
http://tinyurl.com/yuxot
http://www.sciencenews.org/sn_arc98/8_8_98/letters.htm

Pastorio

Thanks for the references. I took a quick look at the first one and was
impressed.

"Bob" > wrote in message
...
> SCUBApix wrote:
>
> > "Bob Pastorio" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >
> >>The Joneses wrote:
> >>
> >>>Last time I read some info on this, seems that scrubbing cutting boards
> >>>with a soapy brush was a good way to start. There seemed to be plenty
of
> >>>evidence that straight vinegar is as good a disinfectant on both wooden
> >>>and plastic cutting boards & surfaces and "kept" longer. Seems that the
> >>>lowered pH prevented the nasties from growing.
> >>
> >>That's true. But an even more effective sterilizing method is to use
> >>distilled vinegar in combination with hydrogen peroxide (from two
> >>separate containers - don't mix them before applying to the board).
> >>Reduces bacterial contamination to lower than bleach levels. Pour or
> >>spray onto the surface, let sit for a minute and drain. Wipe with
> >>paper toweling or let air-dry.
> >>
> >>These two chemicals won't dissolve wooden boards, sponges and human
> >>skin like bleach will.
> >>
> >>And the two liquids have the added advantage of being useful for
> >>washing any foods suspected of being contaminated without making them
> >>taste like laundry products.
> >>
> >>Pastorio
> >
> > Hey Bob, do you have any reference for this approach? I just added a
section
> > on cleaning cutting boards to the FAQ and will add this also, even
without a
> > reference (except to you). But I'm curious how this came about.
>
> It came out of a conversation I had with some people from Virginia
> Tech. Susan Sumner has done a good bit of research on it and has
> published some of her work.
>
> Several mentions:
> http://my.execpc.com/~mjstouff/articles/vinegar.html
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinegar
> http://tinyurl.com/yuxot
> http://www.sciencenews.org/sn_arc98/8_8_98/letters.htm
>
> Pastorio
>