Homeowners have been urged to adopt safe food handling practices to prevent the spread of food-born illnesses.Jan Baggarly, a family and consumer sciences specialist at the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension in the US, argued that there are still some pretty scary kitchen techniques that are widely practised.Setting out to expose certain myths about everyday kitchen tasks, Ms Baggarly claimed that all produce should be washed under the kitchen tap, even if it is to be peeled.Harmful bacteria could be on the outside of the produce, she noted. If you peel or cut it without first washing it, the bacteria could be transferred to the part you eat.Elsewhere, the expert suggested that bleach can be a particularly harmful kitchen cleaner if overused.She therefore recommended using a sanitising solution consisting of one tablespoon of unscented liquid bleach per gallon of water for cleaning countertops.Meanwhile, Scott McGillivray, host of HGTVs Income Property, recently wrote for Midlandfreepress.com that kitchen renovations are worthwhile investments for property landlords given that the room is usually subject to intense examination by potential tenants.