I’d like to run a disinfecting run on my two plastic cutting boards (one for meats, one for veggies). I don’t have any bleach on hand (and all the dire warnings on the label make me nervous), but I do have some Formula 409. Would that do any good? Any other options that aren’t as harsh as bleach?
Put each on a baking sheet in a 150° F. oven for five minutes. Not hot enough to melt the plastic, but hot enough to kill bacteria.
Actually having worked at a chemical plant that makes bleach [among other products] bleach is not all that bad as a sanitizing solution. For many many MANY decades the best sterilizing solution around the house is the very classic half a teaspoon in a quart of water then into a spray bottle.
Bleach [sodium hypochlorite] degrades quite quickly in the air, so literally you can just spray it on and let it air dry until the smell of bleach is off the surface.
To be honest, I have dealt with everything from the standard household bottling of 5% through a custom industrial application 21% solution, with no ill results. Just don’t stick your nose over the bottle and take a heavy sniff, don’t mix it with ammonia in any form, and don’t spill on anything that you do not want to bleach out and you will be fine.
And honestly, chemicals are not evil, ok? If you follow the directions on the back of the bottle of bleach for making a sanitizing solution you will be fine. If it spills on your hand or clothing, just wash off with plain water, and launder the clothing [and it will have bleached out spots because it bleached out the color…]
Alton Brown, in his new book, says vinegar will also work. Use full strength.
I would definitely not use Formula 409 for food contact surfaces unless the label has directions for that sort of usage. I don’t think there’s anything in 409 to act as a disinfectant anyway - its main claim to fame is cleaning up grease.
As **aruvqan **said, bleach, when used properly, is not dangerous and isn’t going to dissolve your cutting boards or make the kids grow a third eye. One other thing in favor of bleach is that it’s really cheap.
There is an “Antibacterial Kitchen All Purpose Cleaner” formula of 409, but even that is not for food preparation surfaces, the manufacturer says.
Immerse in oxygen dihydride heated to 100 degrees C.
I run mine through the dishwasher - is that not sufficient disinfection? I mean, I know it isn’t getting sterilized, but I figure any really nasty bacteria are getting washed off, and I don’t need autoclave-quality sterilization in my kitchen anyway.
Wash it really good with hot soap and water and put it in the sun. The sun is a great disinfectant.
Your dishwasher should be a good enough disinfectant.
I second the recommendation to buy some bleach. They have to put dire warnings on the bottle because people are stupid. It’s pretty mild stuff as far as cleaning chemicals go.
Bleach is my go-to disinfectant. I use it on my cutting boards, my bathroom, the floors (I have birds. Shit happens), the laundry…
Follow the dilution instructions on the label. I suggest wearing gloves, but a small splash of dilute bleach on your hands won’t cause a problem, particularly if you rinse off immediately with plain old water.
The dishwasher will work just fine. If you’re really concerned, put it on the pots and pans cycle.
I think Cooks Illustrated did a study recently and they found that scrubbing in hot soapy water eliminated almost as many bacteria as a bleach solution.
Mark
Same here. I use a wooden cutting board for veggies since it doesn’t need to be sterilized; I do meats solely on the plastic board because I can fit that in the dishwasher.
We’ve had that plastic board for 7+ years and seem to still be alive.
Yes, indeed, prolonged immersion of people in oxygen dihydride causes an estimated 6,500 deaths per year in the U.S. Heating the solvent as I suggested would cause severe injuries if you immersed any part of your body for a relatively short period. It’s a dangerous substance, but it’s also one found in every household.
Why do many people tell Leaper to use bleach when out of bleach?
I just got a freebie copy of Cook’s Illustrated, and it says soap and hot water are very effective in getting rid of germs. Also, the teaspoon of bleach in a quart of water in a spray bottle. It also says rags and sponges can be sterilized by microwaving, but not for how long - I give them 20-30 seconds, myself.
Because to be honest, bleach is one of the best disinfectants around for kitchen applications when used properly. In the OP, he/she is seemingly terrified by this simple chemical because of the dire warnings put on the label … because some morons can’t seem to use it safely.
That, and I don’t own eye goggles, which the label insists I must use in order to use bleach. 
Scrub in hot soapy water, rinse, then pour a pan or kettle of boiling water slowly over it.