WHEN TO TRASH THOSE DORM ROOM ITEMS
Know When To Let Go

Reporting by Isabelle Jones

FROZEN MEATS

Open the freezer. If your meats are now ice-covered and unidentifiable, they may not taste great, but they can still be eaten, according to the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service’s (FSIS) Web site.

Food kept at zero degrees Fahrenheit or below will be safe to eat, but the quality of the meat may not be the same.

Freezer burn, which is caused by air coming into contact with the meat, dries the meat out and turns food a brown or gray color. Cut out the affected portions of meat before eating it, the FSIS Web site instructs.

Meats can also change colors once frozen. Red meats can turn brown, but poultry usually won’t change color.

Meat can be stored in the original wrapping from the grocery store if it will be used within two months. Meat wrapped in foil or plastic wrap or placed in airtight containers or vacuum bags will be better protected for longer storage.

Barbara Scheule, associate professor of hospitality management, recommends storing meats toward the back of the freezer so they are not as exposed to temperature fluctuations as the freezer is opened and closed.

Frozen meats are safe to eat after being frozen for an extended period of time, but the quality of the meats will decline. FSIS lists the recommended storage length for quality for different types of meat.

Hotdogs, ham, lunchmeats, sausage and bacon should be stored for one to two months. Uncooked roasts or steaks should be stored for four months to a year, while uncooked ground beef should be stored for three to four months, and any of these meats cooked should be stored for two to three months. Whole uncooked poultry can be stored up to a year, and uncooked poultry parts up to nine months. Cooked poultry can be stored for four months.

WATER BOTTLES

After drinking bottled water, some may keep the bottle and refill it with water from the faucet or other beverages. Is that safe?

According to plasticsinfo.org, it is as long as the bottles are washed between uses. The site states that most bottles sold in the United States are made of polyethylene terephthalate, which has been “extensively tested for safety” by the United States Food and Drug Administration and will not release harmful substances into the beverage with reuse.

Dan Knopp, junior business management major, says he doesn’t refill his bottles with tap water because he read that doing so can cause a chemical imbalance in the water.

According to the May 2005 UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, the bottles should only be refilled a few times. The letter states that studies show inconclusive results if refilling bottles can cause harmful chemicals to be released. However, people should not refill them repeatedly because of bacteria from their mouths and hands.

“If I’m sick, I throw them out,” senior English major Madelyn Otcasek says.

Make sure to clean the bottles with hot, soapy water and fully dry them each time before reusing them, according to plasticsinfo.org. The Wellness Letter also advises to wash the cap and the neck of the bottles, but don’t put them in the dishwasher.

Barbara Scheule says buying plastic bottles that are meant to be reused and can tolerate multiple washings is a better choice.

SHOWER CURTAIN

If that same shower curtain has been hanging in your bathroom for years, throw it out — or maybe not.

While there seems to be no exact rule as to how long shower curtains should be kept, there are rules as to how they should be cleaned.

Plastic shower curtains can be washed in a washing machine and hung to air dry, according to shower-curtains.org and host Mary Ellen Pinkham of “TIPical Mary Ellen” in an article on hgtv.com.

Both suggest washing curtains with two towels because they rub the curtains, which helps remove dirt and grime.

 “I guess I never realized you could wash a shower curtain,” said Kelly Rickelman, a sophomore early childhood education major. Rickelman says she replaces her curtain about every six months or when the bottom becomes dirty.

Pinkham suggests using a half cup of baking soda and a half cup of detergent when washing the curtain. After the wash cycle, add one cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle. Toss them into the washer once a month, or clean them with a damp sponge and detergent per advice found on shower-curtains.org.

KITCHEN SPONGES

Kitchen sponges are used to get things clean, but they might actually spread the bacteria. Sponges often sit damp at room temperature, conditions that harbor bacteria, says Barbara Scheule.

“I’m not terribly enthusiastic about sponges,” she says.
To prevent the spread of bacteria and to properly cleanse kitchen sponges, wet the sponge and heat it in the microwave or sanitize it in bleach and water.
 
Fightbac.org suggests using paper towels in the kitchen because they are thrown out after each use, which prevents the spread of bacteria.
 
Using sponges that are contaminated with bacteria and can cause food-borne illness are most definitely a health risk, Scheule said.
 
Kelly Rickelman, a sophomore early childhood education major, says she throws her sponges out regularly.

 “I hate when they smell bad,” Rickelman says.

But when should sponges be thrown out? There is no set length of time the same sponge should be used before being replaced. Scheule said to think about bacteria count. If the sponge contains bacteria, which it most likely does, throw it out.