Issue date: March 12, 2000

In this article: 5 ways to keep food toxic free Home health products: Are they worth it? Also: Previous Prevention article To www.prevention.com

You'd probably be horrified by the germs and toxic particles that can set up residence everywhere in your home, including the kitchen sink -- microscopic miscreants that can cause colds and food poisoning. Or trigger hepatitis and even cancer. In a new survey of 121 households, Audits International, an independent food- research safety firm, reports that nearly 70% of home cooks broke at least one major safety rule when preparing foods.

Here are ways for your household to avoid being one of them:

1. Wash your hands like a surgeon. Wash wrists, palms, backs of hands, between fingers and under nails, for at least 20 seconds. Take off rings and bracelets beforehand; they can shield germs. Some doctors say this is how you should always wash your hands. At the very least, try to do it before and after you handle any food and always after using the bathroom.

2. Use paper towels. Bacteria like to hide in cloth towels -- so paper, please. If you use cloth, consider separate towels for washing dishes, wiping countertops and drying hands. Run sponges through the dishwasher daily, and replace them regularly.

3. Sanitize those linens. Disease-causing germs such as E. coli and the hepatitis A virus can survive on cloth even after you've laundered it. Wash kitchen linens, towels and underwear separately; these items are most likely to harbor germs. And use hot water and chlorine bleach or a sanitizing detergent.

4. Get the lead out. Homes often have lead in the water supply. Buy filters to help keep lead exposure down. Or let a faucet run until the water is very cold to remove lead. Also, never use hot tap water for cooking or drinking; it's more likely to contain dissolved lead.

5. Beware of indoor air pollution. Even if your water is lead-free, it may contain other potentially toxic chemicals that are released into the air whenever you turn on a faucet, run the dishwasher or take a shower. To minimize exposure, consider installing carbon filters on faucets in the kitchen and bathroom.

Instant-read food thermometer: YES
It's the only way to make certain that foods stay cool enough to prevent bacteria growth, or that they're cooked hot enough to kill off dangerous microbes.

Antimicrobial products: NO
While these items, from soaps to sponges, can kill dangerous bacteria, good old soap and detergent are just as effective, and cheaper.

Carbon monoxide detector: YES
Even if you install smoke detectors throughout your home, you're still at a loss to detect carbon monoxide -- a colorless, odorless gas that can quickly build to lethal levels. It's wise to put at least one CO detector near sleeping areas.

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