The Sink Areas You're Not Cleaning That Actually Harbor The Most Bacteria - Tasting Table

"If you think you're doing enough during your weekly sink cleaning or monthly deep clean, think again. Sure, you scrub every corner and crevice of the sink basin and take the time to sanitize the drain stopper and the garbage disposal's splash guard, but is that enough? There's actually one sink area that you may not be cleaning as well as you should, and that's your faucet fixtures."

"If you look closely, you may notice hard-water buildup, mold, or a brownish slime forming around the base of your faucet fixtures due to accumulated bacteria, minerals, soap residue, or moisture. This buildup can maybe make your water taste a little funky or slow down the water flow due to things like mineral buildup in the faucet's aerator. Just looking at before-and-after photos of a dirty faucet is enough to make you step up your cleaning routine."

Faucet fixtures are frequently overlooked yet attract the most moisture in the kitchen, creating an environment where microorganisms can thrive. Accumulated bacteria, minerals, soap residue, and moisture can form hard-water buildup, mold, or a brownish slime around the base of fixtures. That buildup can alter water taste and slow water flow by clogging the aerator. High-traffic sink areas face cross-contamination from raw foods, dirty hands, and faucet water. Ideally sanitize fixtures each time food is prepared, but cleaning the sink and wiping spout, handle, and faucet body a couple times a week helps keep germs and residue at bay.

Read at Tasting Table