This Important Item In Your Kitchen Isn't Cleaned Nearly Enough

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You could be the most thorough, frequent cleaner of your kitchen and still be missing a crucial spot — it happens to the best of us. The tricky catch when it comes to keeping our kitchens neat and safe from bacteria is that many of us often forget to wash the things we actually use to help us clean. You might think, "I'm cleaning up after every meal, I'm washing things down completely once a week, surely there can't be a speck of dirt left!" But it's then that you must turn your attention to everything from your mops to your rags, as well as that one item that always gets forgotten: Your dish rack.

Neglecting the dish rack is one of those key kitchen cleaning mistakes that could turn toxic. You think it's fine and dandy because you're putting just-washed dishes into it to dry. They're clean, right? So, what could possibly make the rack dirty? If anything, doesn't the soapy water drip throughout the rack, sort of constantly washing it? But that water is actually not potent enough to stand up to bacteria. In fact, the standing water and remaining moisture inherent to a dish rack's job makes it a breeding ground for mold and bacteria. All of that then comes into contact with your dishes, which obviously then touches your food and — yuck. It's clear your dish rack needs attention; the good news is that it's an easy item to include in a regular cleaning routine.

Unlike your trash can, a kitchen item that starts to smell when it's time to clean it, a dish rack won't let you know it's time for a good wash until it's too late and there's mold growing. Get ahead of this by cleaning your dish rack about once a week; a little more if you use it more often, less if you employ it less.

If your dish rack is dishwasher-safe, simply dissemble any pieces and pop them in. Otherwise, factor a weekly scrub into your routine. There are plenty of kitchen items that are a pain to clean until you learn the right hacks; dish racks aren't one of them. Soapy water does the trick here with an intentional scrub. Rinse with hot water and then actually dry the rack. Yes, we know its whole purpose revolves around air-drying, but it's that stubborn moisture we're trying to squash. Standing water and excess moisture create an inviting crash pad for bacteria. This can lead to mold, and even contribute to humidity in the air that, over time, damages kitchen surfaces. It's both unsafe and potentially pricey to let a dish rack remain wet all the time.

For a deeper clean — like if you start to see signs of mold — try distilled vinegar. Also smart? Upgrading to a quality dish rack that doesn't trap moisture underneath it, like this Jasiway expandable stainless steel dish rack that fits over and drains into your sink.