Do a good ol’ fashioned deep scrub of the following—before and after handling food:

• utensils—knives, forks, spoons, etc.
• countertops
• cutting boards

Tips on cleaning cutting boards

Cutting boards are indispensible for meal prep—but they’re notoriously difficult to clean. Because of this, your innocuous-seeming cutting boards may have been given a cut-rate bath—and may be a hotbed for germs.

Wooden Cutting Boards

• After each use, hand wash the wooden cutting board with warm water, dish soap, and a soft sponge
• Clean any crevices where food and bacteria may hide
• Dry the board immediately with a dry dish towel to prevent warping or splitting
• For a deep clean, you can place a cup of baking powder onto the board and pour a cup of white vinegar over it
• Allow it to sit for a few minutes, then rinse it off
• Consider using a food-grade mineral oil to prevent water from entering your board and warping its natural state
• Apply the oil generously to all sides of your cutting board and let it soak overnight

Plastic Cutting Boards

• Although plastic cutting boards can handle the dishwasher, it’s best to hand wash them to lengthen their lifespan and prevent warping
• Mix a teaspoon of bleach with a quart of water and use a soft sponge to clean your board with this mixture
• Rinse the cleaning solution off with hot water
• To remove pesky stains from your plastic cutting boards, try using a paste made of 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon of water
• Smooth out any loose plastic particles with a steel scouring pad

According to the CDC , thorough hand washing is done by vigorously rubbing together the surfaces of lathered hands and arms for at least 20 seconds followed by a thorough rinse with clean water. Use a single-service towel or hot air dryer to dry hands. No special soaps are needed.

If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol to clean your hands.

Keep ’em separated

• Keep raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs away from ready-to-eat foods
• Use separate cutting boards and plates for raw and cooked foods
• Store raw foods on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator to prevent drips

Cook to the right temp

Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of your food. Here’s a handy table to find the internal-temp sweet spot:

Your fridge is there for a reason

• Refrigerate or freeze perishable foods within two hours of purchasing or preparing them
• Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator, under cold water, or in the microwave, not on the counter
• Marinate foods in the refrigerator, not at room temperature

Avoid

• Avoid eating raw or undercooked
• meat
• poultry
• seafood
• eggs
• sprouts (e.g. alfalfa, clover, mung bean, and radish)
• Avoid unpasteurized
• milk
• juice
• cider
• cheese

Report

If you suspect that you have a foodborne illness, see a doctor and report it to your local health department. You can also report a problem with a food product to the USDA.