Kitchen safety

I've organized several kitchens lately that have suffered from the same problem - unsafe food prep utensils. And we're not talking about kitchens that are not clean, we are talking about things that people just don't notice or think of as a hazard in their kitchen. My list looks like this:

1. Rusty tools - wire whisks that are made of an inexpensive material and have rusted from use with liquids. They are also collecting food particles between the wound wire. I make a point of tossing these particular types of whisks whenever I can and replacing it with a safer variety.

2. Crudy can openers - food collects around wheels of the opener and cakes on until the opener isn't even sharp anymore. I toss my can opener into the dishwasher everytime I use it.

3. Old wooden spoons and cutting boards - Wood cooking spoons and cutting boards should be bleached regularly to keep them from collecting bacteria. Better yet, trade in your wooden utensils for some of the newer materials that can be tossed into the dishwasher.

4. Things in the kitchen that shouldn't be - hate to bring this up, but.... cat litter boxes should not be in the kitchen. Neither should insect sprays or any other poisons.