Cleaning the kitchen without chemicals

[hbridge]

So, DH and I just had it out AGAIN about the proper way to clean the kitchen. I am totally paranoid about raw meat, fish, and poultry, I admit that. I use Lysol Antibacterial Kitchen cleaner because I don't know how else to kill possilbe Listeria, Salmonella, ect. He thinks the chemicals are worse than the bacteria Is there a safer alternative?

I'm not sure about bleach, I think it's just as bad...

Will vinegar kill the harmful bacteria or is it just not strong enough? Is there a good soap to use?

I'm sick of having this argument over and over. There's much more to it since our cooking styles are so different (I clean as I go and he cleans once at the end), but it always comes back to the chemicals. Also, I know that he's right about the chemicals, but I'm also right about the harmful bacteria and don't know how else to handle it.

Any suggestions?

[shawnandangel]

I clean my kitchen with a mixture of Vinegar, water, and tea tree oil.

Tea tree oil has antibacterial properties. I take a spray bottle I bought at Home Depot and put 1/2 vinegar to 1/2 water and then add about 10 drops of tea tree oil. I've been doing this for a year now and we have yet to get sick.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_tree_oil
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinegar#Cleaning_uses

[SnuggleBuggles]

Why do you need to put raw meat on a surface beside a cutting board? I don't rinse the meat and I take it right out of the package and onto the cutting board. So, very rarely do I get any drippings or mess. I'm a pretty big neat freak so I try my best not to get raw stuff anywhere. I use castille soap, the kind from Trader Joe's, for my cleaning. Works great. I use vinegar sometimes too.

Beth

[hbridge]

Why do you need to put raw meat on a surface beside a cutting board? I don't rinse the meat and I take it right out of the package and onto the cutting board. So, very rarely do I get any drippings or mess. I'm a pretty big neat freak so I try my best not to get raw stuff anywhere. I use castille soap, the kind from Trader Joe's, for my cleaning. Works great. I use vinegar sometimes too.

Beth

That's what I do as well, but DH, who is the chef in the family, does not see the problem with raw meat on the counter or in the sink. He's definitely getting better, but it still makes me crazy and I need to know the kitchen is clean when the cooking is done. So I'm not making the kids a snack on a dirty counter.

[SnuggleBuggles]

That's what I do as well, but DH, who is the chef in the family, does not see the problem with raw meat on the counter or in the sink. He's definitely getting better, but it still makes me crazy and I need to know the kitchen is clean when the cooking is done. So I'm not making the kids a snack on a dirty counter.

Ew. Gotcha.

Tea tree oil is supposed to be awesome stuff.

Beth

[Tondi G]

http://www.quickandsimple.com/how-to/deirdre-imus-natural-cleaning

you can always get yourself something made by Method or Seventh generation or ecover in a spray form to clean with and see how you like it... if vinegar alone doesn't feel like it will "disinfect" enough. Soaking in a bleach and water solution occasionally won't hurt either.

[jenandahalf]

I'd be more concerned about what the raw meat is picking up when he is putting it on the counter or in the sink than what it leaves behind. He needs to think about this aspect of his behavior more in my opinion.

I don't use anything other than dish soap and method products to clean my kitchen. Nobody in my family has ever had food poisoning or even close to it. Your husband is right about the damage the chemicals are doing, every time you inhale any of the fumes you are inhaling toxic products.

[JBaxter]

Clean House Clean Planet by Karen Logan

Awesome book that gives recipes on making your own non toxic cleaners. Teatree oils is awesome stuff.

[salsah]

i am paranoid about the raw meat/poultry/eggs/etc. but i also agree with your dh that all those chemicals (and near food!) is potentially worse. i just use vinegar (diluted with water). vinegar is a disinfectant, so you don't need to add tea tree oil. castile soap is another good option.

[daisymommy]

I use either Method or Clorox Green Works non-toxic spray cleaners on everything in my kitchen. I don't even own "regular" chemical cleaners anymore, as I developed a major sensitivity to them, and they were making me sick (asthma and allergy type symptoms, migraine headaches, etc.) That's all I have used for YEARS and no one has ever gotten sick.

That said, I only cut raw meat on a cutting board. I scrub it with regular dish soap (Green Works) and hot water, with a nylon scrub brush. That's it!

Also, here is information I have read time and time again, cut and pasted here for you:


Kitchen Cutting Boards and Countertops – Cleaning with Vinegar
The best way to sanitize kitchen food preparation surfaces such as countertops and wood cutting boards is to use the following vinegar and hydrogen peroxide germ-killing combo:

http://www.apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com/images/sprayer1.gif

Using a spray bottle, apply undiluted apple cider vinegar or white vinegar to the kitchen surface to be cleaned.
Then immediately spray the same area with 3 percent hydrogen peroxide (available in all drugstores) from another spray bottle.
Wipe the area clean or rinse with water.


According to Susan Sumner, a food scientist at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, it does not matter whether you spray the vinegar before or after the hydrogen peroxide, the effect is the same, it kills virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, or E. Coli bacteria on heavily contaminated food preparation surfaces.

She also found that using both sprays was 10 times more effective than using either spray by itself and more effective than chlorine bleach and all other commercially available kitchen cleaners.

The vinegar / hydrogen peroxide sprays also work well to clean meats, fruits and vegetables of disease-causing germs.

Reference:
Science News Online – Food for Thought – 9/28/96

[fedoragirl]

I use vinegar and water mix in a spray bottle, and it disinfects very well. I am pregnant and have been very careful about using non-toxic chemicals but natural cleaners that do the job right. I feel very comfortable with this mix.
Also, if you put meat on a wooden cutting block, you can disinfect by rubbing a used lemon all over it, and leaving it for a few minutes, and then, washing it with soap and very hot water. I would never put meat directly on the countertop.

[sentini]

baking soda and distilled vinegar (or any vinegar for that matter) form carbonic acid when combined. the reactive paste can be used to scour even the most difficult stains as well as creating a disinfecting solution without any harsh fumes or damaging effects on surfaces. (just don't use on marble)

also makes a great volcano explosion for science projects...

[hbridge]

Thank you all SO much. I know it will take me awhile to completely give up what I'm using, but I'm definitely going to give these a try. I know how bad the chemicals are, it's time to give them up!

[SnuggleBuggles]

Once you give them up and they are gone you will wonder how you could stand them when you smell someone else cleaning with them. You can just smell the toxic chemicals. Yick. Think of how you'll be improving the air quality/ quality of life in your home w/o those things. :)

Beth