Canned foods, from tomatoes to beans to fish, are an inexpensive way to add variety and nutrition to your dishes. As easy as it is to grab cans from the supermarket shelf and pile them into your pantry once you're back home, there's one more step you'll want to remember: cleaning the outside first.

Have you ever thought about how many pairs of hands a can of tuna or a bottle of rosé has to pass through before it makes its way to your kitchen? Canned, bottled, and preserved goods can accumulate dirt and germs on the outside, and if you disinfect them, you can prevent what's inside from getting contaminated.

According to Caitlin Hoff, a health and safety investigator, "it's important to wash the grime and bacteria that cans can collect before you drink out of a soda or open a canned good and expose the food to the bacteria on the outside of the can." So before you grab the can opener, reach for a bottle of soap instead.