Granny Gumption

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Granny's Kitchen Cheat Sheet

Twelve kitchen habits science says your granny got right, plus my rag rules, safety warnings and every source. Three pages, printable, free.

  • The sponge rule most folks get wrong
  • The bleach-free board bath (and the old-school one)
  • The two cleaners you must never mix
  • Fridge and freezer temperatures in °F and °C

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What's inside

  1. Your sponge is the germiest thing in the house Worse than the toilet. Toss sponges every 1–2 weeks, sooner if they stink.
  2. Clean that rag right, or don't bother A quick rinse does nothing. Microwave a wet sponge 1 minute (no metal!) or run it through the dishwasher on heat-dry. Dishcloths: hot wash, dry on high, or boil 'em.
  3. Hang that towel to dry Never leave a wet rag balled up. Drying a towel out for a day cuts salmonella way, way down. One rag a day; dirty ones in a bucket till wash day.
  4. One board for meat. One for everything else. Raw meat, poultry and seafood on one board; produce and bread on another. Red for meat, green for greens.
  5. Sanitize your boards once a week 3% hydrogen peroxide or white vinegar, warmed to about 130°F (54°C). Spray a clean board, wait 1 minute, wipe. Old school: 1 Tbsp unscented bleach in 1 gallon of water.
  6. If your board's got canyons, throw it out Deep grooves you can't scrub clean hide germs. Pitch it.
  7. Wash your hands like you mean it 20 seconds with soap ("Happy Birthday" twice). Before, while and after you cook.
  8. Keep your icebox cold Fridge at 40°F (4°C) or colder, freezer at 0°F (−18°C). A little fridge thermometer costs less than a fancy coffee.
  9. First in, first out New groceries to the back, old ones to the front. Write the month on everything in big letters.
    A family of four tosses about $2,913 of food a year.
  10. Vinegar for hard water and rust stains White vinegar takes crust off glasses, rust out of sinks and tarnish off brass. Buy it by the gallon.
  11. Open a box of baking soda Wash the fridge with 1 cup of baking soda in a gallon of warm water, then leave an open box inside.
  12. Air out the house Open the windows on cleaning day. Some indoor air pollution runs 2–5× higher than outside, and we spend about 90% of our time indoors.