5 Things To Know Before Using Bleach To Clean Your Kitchen

Whether you want to prevent cross-contamination after preparing meat or somebody in your home is sick with the flu, bleach—a trusted disinfectant that can make your home more hygienic—is a great tool to have around. Bleach is effective at killing germs, but it’s also quite harsh. It’s important to keep some key things in mind when you use it, so you don’t harm your health or your kitchen counters.

The One Place You Should Be Cleaning More in Your Kitchen (But Aren't)

1. Only Use Bleach on Certain Surfaces

In the kitchen, you can use bleach to disinfect non-porous surfaces, such as plastic, glass, metal, vinyl, ceramic, and porcelain. “If you want to disinfect your kitchen properly, I would suggest using diluted bleach on kitchen door knobs, sealed or tiled countertops, or to clean garbage bins,” says Irina Nikiforova, owner of Rocket Maids LA. “I would also use a special grout cleaner that contains bleach to clean backsplash in the kitchen.”

On the flipside, never use bleach on an unsealed and porous surface. It’s far too harsh and acidic for surfaces such as unfinished wood and marble, and you could risk doing some major damage. Unsure? It’s better to be safe than sorry. “I would not recommend using bleach if you’re worried it might damage the surface,” says Nikiforova. “There are many different non-bleach cleaning solutions that can be used instead.”

2. You Need to Dilute Bleach

When you use bleach in the laundry to whiten your clothes, you don’t typically need to add water, since water goes in your washer. But you should always dilute bleach when you’re using it to clean your kitchen or any other space in your home. “The mixing guide should be on the bleach bottle, but the general rule is ½ cup of bleach should be mixed with one gallon of warm water,” says Nikiforova

3. Don’t Mix Bleach With Other Chemicals

While you might be used to mixing together other cleaners for a better effect, never mix bleach with anything other than water. In contact with other chemicals, bleach can release strong vapors that could harm your home’s surfaces or worse, pose a serious threat to your health.

4. Practice Precautions When Using Bleach

Bleach can harm your skin or lungs if you don’t protect yourself. Always ensure proper ventilation when you’re cleaning with bleach, whether you crack open a few windows or run a ventilator or fan to circulate fresh air. It’s also a good idea to wear gloves when you’re cleaning with bleach (and, to be safe, thoroughly wash your hands afterward).

5. Bleach Is Not A Cleaner

There’s a big difference between cleaning and disinfecting. Cleaning removes dirt and grime from surfaces, and bleach kills potentially harmful germs. For maximum effectiveness, always clean your surface before you disinfect it. “Bleach is not a cleaner and does not have degreasing properties,” says Nikiforova. “Keep that in mind and apply it to an already clean surface.”