How to Disinfect a Lunch Box

The lunch box is a potential site for food-borne germs.

Lunch boxes offer a convenient way for students and workers to transport foods for later consumption, giving them control over the cost and the quality of their meal. Because a lunch box holds food items, it has the potential for fostering germs and potential food-borne illness. It's important to keep a lunch box clean and as free of food refuse as possible. Disinfecting the lunch box kills pathogens from lunches past so that current food items are not contaminated.

Things You'll Need

• Paper towels
• Hot, soapy water
• Dish cloth
• Kitchen towel
• Antibacterial wipes

Instructions

1. Brush away all crumbs and solid matter in the lunch box and wipe away sticky residue with a paper towel.

2. Set up a sink with hot, soapy water.

3. Put the lunch box into the sink and clean all surfaces with a fresh dish cloth.

4. Rinse the lunch box completely and dry it with a clean kitchen towel.

5. Use a couple of antibacterial wipes and wipe down all surfaces of the lunch box. Wet the surfaces down thoroughly.

6. Allow the lunch box to air dry.

Tips & Warnings

• Follow the directions given by the manufacturers of antibacterial wipes. For disinfecting, the product is wiped onto the surface and must stay wet for a specified amount of time before air drying.

• Set open lunch boxes in a clean, sunny location. Sunshine is a great disinfectant.

• Be sure to clean all surfaces and not just the inside of the lunch box. Germs accumulate on the handles and bottoms as well.

References

• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Disinfection and the Prevention of Infectious Disease; Ann Cozad and Rhonda Jones; 2009
• American Cleaning Institute; For Better Living; Surfaces

Resources

• Healthy Eating Made Easy: Lunch Boxes for Kids-Pack Healthy Kids' Lunch Bags