The Most Dangerous Things in Your Kitchen Right Now
When you’re a busy family, most of your time at home is probably spent in the kitchen.
Cooking and meal preparation can take up a lot of your time in general, but there are hazards in the kitchen that could pose a serious risk to your family. With many of these hazards, most people have no idea they exist.
The following are some of the most dangerous things you might have in your kitchen right now.
Cooking Spray
There have been instances, including with one woman in Texas, of people sustaining serious burns because of Pam cooking spray. Pam is often used to coat dishes to prevent food from sticking while you’re baking or cooking.
For the Texas woman, the can of spray was placed on a wooden cart close to her stove while she put a cobbler in the oven. Then, the cooking spray shot through the vents at the bottom of the can and exploded into flames.
The woman was severely injured and suffered from second and third-degree burns over nearly 1/3 of her upper body. She also became blind in one eye.
As of the fall of 2019, there had been 33 lawsuits filed against the Conagra company that makes Pam. In most of the lawsuits, the claimants suffered serious burns. Many of the victims required skin grafts as a result.
Non-Stick Cookware
Non-stick pans are easy to use and clean, but they can be a dangerous choice for your family. If you overheat a pan coated with Teflon, it can create toxic fumes. These fumes can lead to illnesses similar to the flu.
Cooking with cast-iron is a healthier option for everyone in your household.
Cutting Boards
You’re probably wondering how in the world a cutting board can be dangerous.
However, cutting boards can carry dangerous bacteria that can lead to serious illnesses or even death.
Raw meat has bacteria that can transfer to cutting boards and linger even after they’ve been washed.
Make sure you always use separate cutting boards for vegetables and meats.
Don’t use cutting boards that are damaged or cracked because those cracks become places where bacteria can thrive and multiply.
Air Fresheners
Air fresheners are something you should reconsider using not just in your kitchen but throughout your home.
You might reach for an air freshener to eliminate strong cooking odors or something smelly coming from your kitchen trashcan.
However, chemicals in aerosols can lead to lung damage and, with ongoing exposure even increase your risk of cancer.
Oven Cleaner
No one wants a dirty oven, but if you use certain types of high-powered oven cleaners, you might be putting your family’s health at risk. Products like Easy-Off are linked to negative effects on respiratory health and other similar issues.
Gas Stoves
Gas stoves can be challenging to deal with in terms of safety because if you don’t turn off a knob fully after you’re finished cooking, a child fiddles with one, or even if you bump into one, then the odorless and colorless gas that comes from the burner can lead to illness or death.
Sponges
The reason kitchen sponges can be so dangerous is similar to that of cutting boards.
Kitchen sponges, as well as dish and hand towels, are teeming with bacteria.
The average kitchen sponge can grow new bacteria every 20 minutes.
Even rinsing it out frequently isn’t going to do enough to combat this bacteria growth. Sponges can harbor salmonella and E. coli, for example.
To clean sponges, rather than microwaving them, you should use a bleach solution. Let your sponges soak in a bleach and water combination for a few seconds. Make sure any sponge you’re cleaning is entirely covered in the solution. Then, remove the sponge and wring it out under water to remove any bleach.
Plastic Containers
When you have a family at home, the chances that you also have cupboards stacked with plastic containers is high. You might pack everyone’s lunches in them and use them to store leftovers.
Unfortunately, they can be dangerous.
Many types of plastic storage containers are made with phthalates, which can cause reproductive health problems and can harm a developing fetus.
The chemicals and materials used to make these containers leach into your food, especially when they’re heated.
Finally, canned foods like soup and pasta might expose you to BPA. BPA is a chemical that is used to line cans, and it is part of the preservation process. However, BPA can replicate estrogen effects and cause health issues.
11 Comments
Kate Sarsfield
I had a can of hairspray explode once. I was on my way home from a weekend away & stopped to walk the dog. When we got back to the car it was littered with pieces of the can. Very lucky escape!
Kate Sarsfield
I only use eco-friendly products so no aerosols, bleach etc. Also we have a septic tank for waste water so we can’t use biological cleaning agents anyway.
Veronica Lee
Valuable tips, Connie. I’ve also heard that cooking sprays damage cookware.
Kelly O
I am a total freak about my sponges. I use bleach but only use a couple times before putting them into the “cleaning” supplies. I have a dishwand but sponges do such a better job.
Dawn Keenan
Thanks for this informative article! I had never thought of the cooking spray.
Tamra Phelps
Well, I use several of these, so this is something to think about, definitely. It’s scary how things can be harmful without us ever being aware of it.
Dana Rodriguez
Interesting post. Never heard of cooking spray causing burns.
Rosie
This is the first time I’ve heard this about cooking spray – yikes! I don’t use it. Here’s a tip, for what I do, and it works like a charm for non-stick cooking: I have a jar of liquid lecithin, and I mix a little bit of it in oil, such as grapeseed, corn, whatever you like. I put a little in a pan and spread it around, and also in the slow cooker, and nothing sticks, and makes it easy to clean – no worrying about exploding cans or skin grafts.
Sandra Dufoe
Wow great safety tips and information.
Nancy
These are some interesting ideas to read and consider. You always want to keep your family safe.
Kelly Kimmell
Great safety tips, I haven’t used sponges in the kitchen in years!