How do I Clean After Eating to Protect Those With Peanut Allergies?

Peanut allergies are a serious allergy when peanuts, peanut oils or other products made from peanuts get into the system. Cleaning is a vital part of ensuring that anyone with a peanut allergy does not eat even the smallest amount of peanut or peanut oil when they are eating over. It takes a few minutes of proper care to remove the lingering oil or food particles from dishes or countertops, but the extra cleaning time ensures that all the allergens are removed.

Things You'll Need

• Hot water
• Napkins
• Wash cloth
• Dish soap
• Bleach

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Instructions

• 1

  Rinse any dishes, silverware, countertops, tabletop and other items with hot water. If anything is stuck on, soak it in hot water until the stuck on peanut butter, peanuts or other items are soft and easily removed. Wipe the item with a napkin and then toss out the napkin.

• 2

  Wet a wash cloth or sponge, and add dish soap. Clean the counters, tabletop, silverware and dishes with plain dish soap. Most dish soaps have a grease fighting element that helps eliminate peanut oils that may be clinging to surfaces. Rinse the dishes with hot water.

• 3

  Fill the sink or a bucket with hot water and one to two capfuls of bleach. Soak the dishes in the bleach while you clean the counters with hot bleach water. The bleach will not only kill any other materials and remove the grease, but it will get rid of any remaining traces of peanut residue on the surface of your dishes or counters. Rinse the bleach off the silverware and dishes with plain water.

• 4

  Rewash the dishes with dish soap. This will soften the smell of the bleach, and will ensure that any left-behind particles are removed. Rinse, dry and put away the dishes.

• 5

  Wash your hands thoroughly with hot water and antibacterial soap to remove any traces of peanut that you could have acquired while cleaning.