Replace sponges every few weeks. Keep raw meat, poultry and fish and their juices away from other food. For instance, wash your hands, cutting board and knife in hot soapy water after cutting up chicken and before dicing salad ingredients. Use plastic cutting boards rather than wooden ones, where bacteria can hide in grooves. Thaw food in the microwave or refrigerator, NOT on the kitchen counter.
Bacteria can grow in the outer layers of the food before the inside thaws.
Marinate in the refrigerator too. Thoroughly It takes thorough cooking to kill harmful bacteria, so you're taking chances when you eat meat, poultry, fish or eggs that are raw or only partly cooked. To check visually, red meat is done when it's brown or gray inside. Poultry juices run clear. Fish flakes with a fork.