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It’s likely there are countless things in your kitchen which look clean, but actually, they’re filthy. Could your dishcloths be making you sick? When was the last time you washed your tea towels? And do we really need to bleach the sink more than once a month? We asked an expert to find out. Knobs, door handles, and buttons The buttons and dials on your kitchen appliances could be a germ-fest. “People often neglect to clean these areas of the kitchen,” says Danielle Mason, a cleaning content creator – or ‘cleanfluencer’ – who creates tutorials and videos on TikTok and Instagram. “Most of the time, they don’t think it is important, but as you’re commonly handling raw meat and food, it’s extremely important to keep these areas clean, due to cross-contamination. “Always sanitise with a cloth – I like to do this with Zoflora, as it leaves a great smell afterwards, and kills bacteria from dirty fingers.” Cloths If what you clean with isn’t clean, chances are, your kitchen isn’t either. “I always leave my cloth to soak in bleach before going to bed every night,” says Mason. “This enables a new start in the morning with no bacteria. Also, make sure you’re replacing the cloths – I would suggest a new one every two weeks, whilst still bleaching every night. And make sure you’re not using this cloth on anything other than the kitchen, as you do not want to cross-contaminate.” Sponges Mason stresses sponges are unhygienic, as they’re constantly damp and can carry E. coli. “People tend not to use sponges, as they carry so many more germs, and even putting them in the microwave will not kill all of them. Avoid a sponge where possible.” Dish towels Dish towels and tea towels may not be changed anywhere near often enough. “You should have one for every day of the week, as they carry so many bacteria and germs, which get spread across the kitchen. If you’re drying pots and pans, and then wiping down your surfaces, it’s not good,” she says. Chopping boards Chopping boards – particularly wooden ones – could be a haven for bacteria. “You should have a different colour for different types of food, one for meat, fruit, and other foods,” advises Mason. “The best way to clean them is in a dishwasher, as it’s good to get rid of all the germs due to the very high heat. If you don’t like the dishwasher, then boil the kettle water and leave the chopping boards to soak in it. I use a steam cleaner on mine, as it kills 99.9% bacteria and there are no chemicals.” It is best to avoid wooden chopping boards altogether, as these cleaning methods may damage them. Kitchen sink “This is a massive breeder of bacteria and grime; a distinct microbiome is found in sinks. “The plumbing area found beneath sinks revealed microbial communities dominated by a group of bacteria called Proteobacteria. This phylum includes pathogens such as Salmonella and E. coli, which can cause serious disease,” Mason shares. “I’ve always been taught never to wash my hands in the sink, and to never throw dirty water down the sink. You wash your cups and plates in the sink and prepare food, so it should always be kept clean, and nothing from outside the kitchen should cross-contaminate that. For example, never wash your floors and put dirty water in your kitchen sink, always throw it down the toilet.” How do you possibly clean the inside of your sink and drains? “Baking soda and vinegar is the best way to clean your sink out, or bleach, but you must be careful with bleach, as it can stay in the bottom of your sink, depending on the material it’s made of. I clean my sink out every day.” Pipes and cupboards around your sink could be leading you to have a rodent problem. “You can prevent mice and rodents from entering the kitchen by covering any small crevices or cracks. It is also important to repair leaks as soon as they happen, as they can come through the pipes,” she says. Fridges “Deep clean [your fridge] every two months. A normal cleaning – the wiping of shelves – should be done every other day with soapy water. For any bad smells, use baking soda, which will absorb the smell from the fridge,” Mason continues. “The fridge is a breeding ground for salmonella, E. Coli and other bacteria.” Bins Where you throw your waste away could be a breeding ground for germs. “Make sure you keep [outdoor] rubbish bins away from your house, and make sure you empty your bin as soon as it’s full,” advises Mason. “I personally do not keep a bin in the kitchen, I use a bag and I take that out by the end of the day, but if you are using a bin, make sure you bleach it with hot kettle water, to keep it smelling fresh.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Laura Whitmore: I feel unsafe as a woman Meet the professional cuddler charging £70-an-hour to hug ‘the big spoons in life’ New warnings about ‘concerning’ rise in at-home cosmetic dentistry

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Sean Strickland pulled off one of the biggest upsets in UFC history on Saturday, outstriking and outpointing Israel Adesanya to win the middleweight title in Sydney. Few fans or pundits believed that Strickland had a chance to dethrone Adesanya, one of mixed martial arts’ finest strikers, but the challenger combined constant forward movement with solid defence and clinical output at UFC 293. In doing so, the controversial American – who claimed in 2021 that he would like to “kill” an opponent in the ring one day – beat Adesanya 49-46 on all three scorecards. Strickland, 32, dropped the Nigerian-New Zealander late in Round 1 with a picture-perfect right cross, sending Adesanya spinning to the canvas before seeking a finish. Strickland could not quite find the knockout blow, however, as Adesanya, 34, survived to the buzzer. The champion appeared to level the score in Round 2, remaining calm, switching stances and using feints to good effect – as he so often does. The “Last Stylebender” also worked the body of Strickland well, but the challenger would soon get back out in front. The third round saw limited output from both middleweights, until Strickland landed a one-two, left hook and stinging jab late in the frame. Still, the main event was in the balance, with Strickland’s coach Eric Nicksick telling him before the championship rounds: “I don’t want to lose a boring-ass decision.” There was no sign whatsoever of Strickland looking to wrestle, despite many believing that such an approach would be his only chance of success. In fact, the American had a body-lock opportunity in Round 4, when Adesanya overshot a strike, but Strickland let go of his opponent. While Adesanya increased his output in the final round, he was still a step behind Strickland, who continued to press forward and even began to talk to his rival late in the round. When the final buzzer sounded, Nicksick hoisted a tearful Strickland aloft, before the American’s championship victory was confirmed. Adesanya then appeared to pay respect to Strickland, burying the hatchet after a heated build to their fight. Much of Strickland’s post-fight, in-ring interview was censored by TNT Sports. With the result, Adesanya lost the middleweight title for the second time. In November, he suffered a TKO loss to his old kickboxing rival Alex Pereira, but Adesanya regained the belt by knocking out the Brazilian in a rematch in April. Pereira, who also knocked out Strickland last July, helped the American train for Saturday’s main event, which saw Strickland seal a third straight win since his loss to Pereira. UFC 293 results Sean Strickland def. Israel Adesanya (C) via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) Alexander Volkov def. Tai Tuivasa via second-round submission (Ezekiel choke, 4:37) Manel Kape def. Felipe dos Santos via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) Justin Tafa def. Austen Lane via first-round TKO (punches, 1:22) Tyson Pedro def Anton Turkalj via first-round KO (punches, 2:12) Carlos Ulberg def. Da Un Jung via third-round submission (rear naked choke, 4:49) Chepe Mariscal def. Jack Jenkins via second-round TKO (elbow injury, 3:19) Jamie Mullarkey def. John Makdessi via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Nasrat Haqparast def. Landon Quinones via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Charlie Radtke def. Blood Diamond via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27) Gabriel Miranda def. Shane Young via first-round submission (rear naked choke, 0:59) Kevin Jousset def. Kiefer Crosbie via first-round submission (rear naked choke, 4:49) Read More UFC schedule 2023: Every major fight happening this year Fans tear apart Tyson Fury over claim that Francis Ngannou poses tougher test than Oleksandr Usyk UFC rankings: The Independent’s pound-for-pound fighters list Israel Adesanya’s coach reveals strange request after shock loss to Sean Strickland UFC 293 LIVE: Adesanya vs Strickland updates and results tonight Back-up fighter revealed for Adesanya vs Strickland at UFC 293

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