Specifically, about bacteria on cutting boards (a plastic one) and my dish scrubber (it’s one of the plastic-handled ones filled with soap and with a sponge/scrubber on the end). I wash the cutting board immediately after using it, but I use the dish scrubber to do it, and I’ve recently heard that the dish scrubbers tend to get pretty filthy, bacteria-wise. Now, I’m not too squeamish about it or anything; I’ve been using the dish scrubber for a while now with no ill effects like food poisoning or sickness. I don’t have a dishwasher in my apartment, so just throwing it in the machine isn’t an option. Should I be using some other methods to clean my dishes, or is it really not that big of a deal? How do I keep the cutting board clean since it comes in contact with a lot of raw meat?
This site might help out. Essentially, also keep your meat chopping board seperate from the one your use for raw veges etc, clean everything with hot, soapy water, and change things like spnges and dish cloths regularly.
Some more info here.
I wouldn’t worry too much. Taking reasonable percautions should keep you from getting sick.
I disagree with the second website’s support of anti-bacterial soaps. Good, old fashioned soap and hot water are good enough. Anti-bacterial products will only give us Super Germs.
Thanks, Ice Wolf!
Lissa, I agree with you about the anti-bacterial soaps; I try to get ‘normal’ soap whenever I can, but it’s getting increasingly hard to find hand soap that isn’t ‘antibacterial’.
Yup, I’m no fan of anti-bacterial soaps, either. I went through a phase once of using them for washing my hands, and all heck broke loose as far as skin allergies, reactions etc. was concerned. I just included the second link as a bit of further info to work with.
You’re welcome, Cuckoorex! Glad I could help. 
Of all the different kinds of bacteria there are, only a tiny fraction cause disease in otherwise healthy folks. If you are healthy, what particular bacteria are you worried about? Knowing what you want to protect yourself from is the first step toward choosing the proucts and procedures you need to protect yourself. There is no point in using antibacterial cleansers or, for that matter, in washing with super hot water unless there is something in particular you want to kill.
If you’re really paranoid, here’s a newfangled product for you.