In what's probably the most disgusting kitchen fact of all time, a study from the University of Arizona found that kitchen sponges and washcloths contained some of the highest levels of fecal bacteria — and your cutting board that you chop veggies on isn't far behind.
Your cutting board, especially if it's wooden, gets small cuts and grooves in it as you use it — meaning the bacteria from your kitchen or the food that you're cutting can make its way inside of them. It's vital for your kitchen and food hygiene to clean your cutting board properly to avoid this.
The scoop
Instagrammer Miranda Wilson (@np.miranda) tells her viewers that their cutting boards can have up to 200 times the amount of fecal bacteria as their toilet. Luckily, she also has the perfect, easy hack to combat this.
You'll want to start by drizzling sea salt — a gentle abrasive — and vinegar onto your cutting board. Then, squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice on it and scrub the board using half of your lemon for five minutes.
After rinsing, your cutting board will be clean and ready to handle all your cooking needs.
Of course, to help you maintain this level of cleanliness, it's important to make sure you're cleaning around your cutting boards as well. This includes your sink, countertops, and produce.
"I was so grossed out when I found out this fact! I had to share an easy way to sanitize your wooden cutting board," Miranda explained in her video.
How it's helping
Think of everything you might cut on your cutting boards: raw meat, vegetables from the ground, fruit with pesticides. All of these can carry a host of bacteria that you don't want anywhere near you, as they can cause foodborne illnesses.
This hack not only keeps you safe from those, but it also eliminates any odors that your board may have picked up, and it does so without the need for any harsh chemicals.
Many sites recommend bleach to clean your cutting boards and kitchen appliances, but that comes with some downsides — not the least of which is that one wrong move can make your clothes the victim of ruthless stains.
Plus, bleach is known to cause irritation to the skin and eyes, and when combined with the wrong chemicals, it can be deadly. Even when it's not combined with other chemicals, bleach can cause a lot of damage once it's washed down the drain. As it contaminates local waterways, bleach causes serious harm to the local wildlife and animals.
What everyone's saying
Many commenters couldn't believe how much bacteria could be in your kitchen.
Others offered up partial solutions, like glass cutting boards. "I live by glass, nothing growing on those babies!" wrote one user.
Another had a good point though, saying that they weren't comfortable using glass cutting boards. "It's so slippery though! I can totally imagine cutting myself," they wrote.
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