What is the preferred method for sanitizing the kitchen?
I'm aware of a number of ways for sanitizing.
Soap.
Ammoniac.
Bleach.
Sodium bicarbonate.
Which of these is the preferred method of sanitation?
Which concentrations are recommended?
How can you test whether the levels of concentration are correct?
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Soap and water on everything that could conceivably come into contact with food. So... all food preparation surfaces, walls a good 2-3 feet (60cm-1m) up and down from prep areas. Everything in between.
Then spray everything with a commercial sanitizing product, such as a multi-quat foodsafe santizer.
MY preferred method (and for the establishments I have worked) has been to clean using soap and water, then sanitize using either a commercial product, or a bleach and water solution.
If you are going to immerse items to be sanitized, you should use 1/4 cup of bleach per gallon of water. Item should stay in solution for a minimum of 2 minutes. Air dry.
If you want to spray sanitizer onto items, like counter tops, use a solution of 1 tablespoon bleach per gallon of water. Sanitizer should be in contact with surface for 1 minute. Air dry.
If you don't want to air dry, rinse the item and dry with a clean towel.
Due to comments below, I searched for something to back up my statements. The guidelines I stated are from the CDC, and I apparently remember them from when I was worked in childcare (in which we prepared foods). Here is a page that should clarify.
www.marylandpublicschools.org/NR/rdonlyres/5FCFA874-2853-4247-ACC4-F11196C07F93/10596/GeneralSanitationGuidelines.pdf
Hopefully someone can make this into a "cleaner" link with a clickable text, as I am not sure how to do that.
For the family home kitchen don't sanitise your kitchen, you are wasting your time
Just use "elbow grease" and a little of the same detergent you wash your dishes in on a plain cloth. You want to mechanically remove food, oil, and fat from work surfaces. The cloth gets washed with your hot towel laundry. Remember the knobs and dials on appliances and handles of cupboards and the fridge too
Anything more is just cosmetic. All you need to do is mechanically remove food, oil, fat and water so bacteria can't multiply
Also if you don't change your cloths and towels with each cooking session you are really wasting your time trying to sanitise the kitchen anyway
You cannot 100% kill bacteria without using chemicals unsafe for humans and pulling apart your kitchen. And then an hour later it will be dirty again because the breeze brought something in, or you have shoes on that have been outside!
Your kitchen will be full of your families bacteria if cleaned this way. These bacteria are compatible with you body, and should not become a risk unless allowed to grow in large numbers. These bacteria will compete for food with any new imported bacteria, so you don't want to wipe them out (not that you can). They can help stop imported pathogenic bacteria from establishing themselves
Another route for day to day cleaning is vinegar. I use a spray bottle with half white vinegar and half water at night on my counter tops before bed. (Use soap after cooking or prepping.)
The vinegar does a good job cleaning bacteria, mold, and germs. Once you get accustomed to the smell of vinegar, you will realize it deodorizes after the vinegar smell goes away.
A nice touch is rubbing a lemon on the counter beforehand, but it really doesn't do much other than smell nice and break down oil.
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