15 Germiest Things in Your Kitchen

Before you dice that chicken breast tonight, know this: The average cutting board has 200 times more germs than a toilet seat, according to a University of Arizona study. Why? Raw meat can leave fecal matter that gets cozy in the grooves left by your knife. Wash plastic or wooden cutting boards with dish soap and hot water twice a month, then spray them down with a bleach and water solution.

That sponge you're cleaning your dishes and wiping your counters with is the dirtiest thing in your entire house, according to a study by a group of German researchers. They found a crazy high amount of 45 billion microbes per square centimeter, mostly E. coli and other fecal bacteria. A sponge makes your toilet look like a surgical operating room. At the end of each day, zap your sponge in the microwave for 30 seconds. Toss them in the washing machine or dishwasher once a week.

The compartments where you store meat and vegetables are breeding grounds for germs, says the public health and safety organization NSF. The unwrapped veggies and dripping meat juices can leave behind disease-causing microbes like salmonella, listeria, yeast and mold. Once a month, empty the drawers, pull them out, and scrub them with hot, soapy water.

You clean your coffeepot, but don't forget the reservoir. It's a breeding ground for disease-causing germs like staph, strep, and E. coli. Remove the reservoir once a month and wash it with hot, soapy water. Run vinegar through the coffeemaker regularly to clean the carafe and get rid of mineral buildup in the machine's pipes. Brew a pot of clean water when you're done to get rid of the vinegar.