Think your kitchen is squeaky clean? Not so fast. "Moisture and
food particles make it the perfect environment for growing germs
that can make you sick," says Kelly A. Reynolds, PhD, an
environmental microbiologist at the University of Arizona's
Zuckerman College of Public Health in Tucson. "If you're not
killing them, you can go from 10 microbes to millions within 24
hours." And the more germs there are, the more likely you are to
get sick from one. Here's where they're hiding and what you can
do about it. Photo by Thinkstock. Your Coffee Maker Coffee might
not be the only thing brewing in there. The NSF found yeast and
mold growing in about half the coffee pot reservoirs they
surveyed. "These organisms can cause allergic responses in some
people," says Dr. Donofrio-and make your coffee taste bad too,
says Dr. Reynolds. What to do: Once a month, fill the reservoir
with vinegar and let it stand for 30 minutes. Run a cycle with
the vinegar followed by several clean water cycles. Between
uses, wash the individu