A Resolution That Can Keep You and Your Family Healthy and Safe By Simi Valley Hospital It’s that time of year when a lot of us make New Year’s resolutions—or if we don’t particularly like the “r” word, we may instead look at it as establishing new habits that bring about a better life. Either way, that commitment to change often includes becoming healthier. Maybe you’ve resolved to rehabilitate the elliptical-machine-turned-clothes-rack in the corner of your bedroom. Or you may be working on drinking less coffee, eating more vegetables or packing a homemade lunch. Here’s a resolution you may not have thought of, though—one that can keep you and your family both healthy and safe: Commit to practicing better home hygiene. As TV and Internet ads love to remind us, germs are everywhere. And while you can’t completely rid your home of these potentially dangerous bugs, here are a few tips to get yourself started on a less-germy environment. Tip #1—Start with the piggies When it comes to spreading germs, there’s practically no worse offender than the human hand. We often touch things without even thinking about it. And if that thing you just touched is contaminated, you’re going to pass it on to the next thing you touch—including other humans. But here’s the good news: All it takes is consistent, thorough hand washing to eliminate many of the germs that collect on your hands. But you have to do it right. Use soap, and scrub vigorously and thoroughly for at least 20 seconds. Don’t forget to wash your hands often—and teach your kids to do the same. Tip #2—Send your sponge to the sauna Kitchen sponges are super handy. They’re great for washing dishes, cleaning up spills and wiping down your countertops. But they’re also really, really good at collecting and holding germs. They’re sponges, after all—that’s what they do. Make your sponges healthier by throwing them into your dishwasher every day (and make sure to use the drying cycle), or microwave a damp sponge for one minute. Even when you do this, replace your sponges often. Tip #3—Ban bag bugs If you carry your groceries in reusable shopping bags, be sure to wash the bags frequently. Liquids from meat, vegetables and other items you place in the bags are a perfect breeding ground for germs that can contaminate your food items the next time you use the bag. Tip #4—Put germs on—no, off—the chopping block It’s bad enough when a food item you’re working with is contaminated, but you can make it even worse when you work with other food on the same cutting board. Make sure you use a separate, clean cutting board for every item you’re preparing. That means separate boards for raw meat, poultry, fish and fresh produce. You can purchase sets of cutting boards that are color-coded for various types of foods to make it easier for you to avoid cross-contamination. Tip #5—Take your dinner’s temperature “In the rush to prepare meals, clean up afterwards and store the leftovers, it can be easy to miss some key food safety practices,” said Caroline Esparza, a registered nurse who is the senior vice president and patient care executive at Simi Valley Hospital, and the hospital’s current interim president and CEO. One very important food safety rule, Esparza said, is to cook meat to a minimum temperature that will destroy bacteria that may be present in or on the meat. These minimum temperatures vary a bit among various types of meat. In general, ground beef should be cooked to at least 160° Fahrenheit, chicken and turkey (whole or pieces) to 165°, and casseroles to 165°. An inexpensive food thermometer—available at just about every grocery and general merchandise store—is all it takes to make sure you’re following this very important food preparation step. Learn more about how to make your kitchen a safer place at foodsafety.gov.
Posted on: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 00:00:38 +0000
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