When you are cooking poultry, especially for a crowd, you need to take extra care to clean as you go in your kitchen. University of Missouri Extension Health Specialist, Sue Robison says to be careful of cross-contamination. When you are working on the turkey, make sure the cutting board, knives, countertop, utensils, and even the sink are cleaned before you move on to the next task. She says remember the four-step process.
Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill
Cook your foods to the proper temperature to kill harmful bacteria and finally, Chill any leftovers to stop bacteria from growing.
For the dishcloth, keep it rinsed well and change it out regularly to ensure it is not harboring any dangers. For the Sponge, some recommend you rinse them several times in clean water, and then while damp, put it in the microwave oven on the highest setting for one full minute and that will kill off any of those bad organisms. Of course, make sure your microwave is clean.
Robison says another good practice is to use a sanitizing solution to clean up periodically. Commercial sanitizing solutions with at least 70% alcohol are recommended. You can also use a solution of a tablespoon of bleach to a gallon of clean tap water. Put that in a spray bottle or in a clean bucket to use for sanitizing between the various foods.