• You only own one cutting board. You should have at least two . . . one for raw meat, and one for everything else. And the one for meat should be plastic, not wood.

The quickest way to sanitize a cutting board is by using a spray bottle with bleach water. The right mix is one tablespoon of unscented bleach for every gallon of water.

• Washing raw meat. A lot of people do it even though it actually INCREASES your chances of getting sick. When water from your faucet hits the meat, it splatters the juice all over your kitchen. So you end up with things like e. coli and salmonella everywhere.

• Using the same sponge for way too long. You should replace it every two weeks. Tossing it in the dishwasher or microwaving it kills some of the bacteria, but not all of it.

• Letting leftovers sit out too long. As a general rule, don't let anything sit out for more than two hours. After that, there could be enough bacteria to make you sick.