You're Forgetting To Clean The Dirtiest Spot In Your Kitchen

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If you had to guess the area of your kitchen that was covered in the nastiest, most abundant germs, what would be your pick? Maybe the mouth of the garbage disposal? How about your cutting boards? Surely it's your trash can, right? Nope. The dirtiest spot in your kitchen is actually your spice jars. A 2022 study published by the Journal of Food Protection found that most spice jars are filthy, to the point that some are crawling with germs like salmonella and norovirus. In the study, turkey burgers were cooked in 371 kitchens. The meat was deliberately infected with the easily-traced MS2 virus. After cooking, the area of the kitchens most contaminated with MS2 were the spice containers that had been used in seasoning the patties.

Whether you're taking the time to bloom your spices or sprinkling some flavor into your dinner, it's very likely that you are forgetting to properly wash your hands while cooking. The CDC estimates that proper handwashing could reduce intestinal illness by as much as 40%, which is a pretty staggering statistic when you think about it. When you handle raw meat — which can be particularly packed with contaminants — and then season the meat with spices, your spice jars turn into unassuming petri dishes.

So, now that you've got the heebie-jeebies about your spice jars, what should you do about it? The answer is simple: Clean those things up! Wiping down the outsides of the containers is the easiest method, and simply takes a gentle disinfectant, hot water, and some elbow grease. The insides are trickier, obviously. If you are squeamish about using chemicals to clean jars holding fragrant seasoning, there are natural alternatives. You undoubtedly know how to clean kitchen appliances with vinegar, and spice jars can be washed the same way. Any inexpensive white vinegar — like Amazon's Happy Belly brand distilled vinegar — will do the job.

Are you mind-boggled by the concept of cleaning the insides of those fiddly little jars with your oversized sponge? Just like you can clean your coffee grinder with rice, Redditors have devised a clever way to use rice to clean spice jars: Fill the jar one-third of the way with rice, add a drop of dish soap, and fill the rest with hot water. Cap the bottle and let a little shaking do all the work! Make sure to let your containers dry thoroughly before refilling. Not only can cleaning and organizing your spice bottles be tremendously satisfying, it's also much better for your health.