In a room that is purposely set for preparing meals every day, high standards of hygiene should always be maintained. However, the kitchen is also a huge producer of waste, dirt, and filth, which can wreak havoc to your health and that of your family if proper measures to keep the place clean are not maintained. This means keeping everything clean and sanitized, from the dishes to the surfaces, appliances, tools, and equipment. It also involves bearing in mind contaminants and toxins that could be present or may make their way into your food and water. With this having been said, here are some tips on how to keep your kitchen clean and free from various forms of contamination.
Clean Up Cooking Messes Immediately
As earlier mentioned, the kitchen is among the most used rooms in the house where, especially during meal preparation, a lot of dirt and filth is produced. Kitchen messes can be a nuisance when not taken care of immediately. The greasy and sticky residue could easily attract flies, roaches, and other pests, which are known to breed so fast and start crawling on every corner of your kitchen. After cooking, use hot water and soap to clean all the kitchen surfaces and ensure the space is well aerated. This will keep the pests at bay.
Invest In a Water Filter
Undoubtedly, part of a healthy routine involves drinking plenty of water. But the water coming from your kitchen taps is rarely the best for drinking. The folks over at Water Filters Advisor say that there is a wide range of contaminants that find their way into tap water. These may range from sediments such as sand, silt, and rust to suspended organic material, chemical contaminants, and radiological pollutants. Getting a water filter is one of the surest ways to make sure your kitchen water is free from contamination.
Change the Dish Towels Regularly
Kitchen towels are always hung or hooked on, ready to get wet when wiping our hands, drying the utensils, or moping kitchen surfaces. That is one of the easiest ways to transfer bacteria around the kitchen, especially since they stay damp most of the time. To maintain proper hygiene, you are advised to have several kitchen towels where you can change them regularly as the used ones are sun-dried. A quality linen or cotton material is the best because it absorbs all the water and does proper cleaning on the surfaces. It is best to clean them using some hot water and disinfectants to ensure that they are clean enough to handle the cleaning tasks.
Clean Every Surface
Most of the time, we leave the kitchen window open. That means that chances are, your surfaces are dusty and maybe infected in one way or another. Be sure to clean kitchen surfaces with soap and water, disinfecting them afterward with the appropriate product. Do the same to the kitchen appliances, the vent hood, light fixtures, accessories, and right about anything on the surface that can attract and harbor germs. The same case applies to the sink after washing the dishes.
Wash Your Hands with Soap and Water
This has been the song of the year 2020 after COVID-19 struck. When in the kitchen, always ensure you lather up before and after preparing a meal. Always clean your fruits and groceries thoroughly with running water before consumption or cooking. Organic meals risk cross-contamination, and that calls for action once they arrive in the kitchen room. It is essential if you wash your hands before and after handling them. For meals that are to be stored in the fridge raw, make sure they are cleaned up before being stored in that appliance. It reduces the risk of spreading bacteria.
Take Care of Your Fridge
The fridge is an essential kitchen appliance that can be poisonous when not well taken care of when storing food. Overloading your fridge prevents the circulation of air, which helps to make food stay longer. Notably, that stimulates the growth of bacteria, which makes food go bad fast. On that note, when you sip a drink, avoid taking it back to the fridge for storage. That is because it introduces new bacteria, which can grow and spread inside the refrigerator. It may end up causing contamination of the food that is in the fridge.
Finally, always ensure proper waste management in the kitchen area. Have a lidded bin at one corner where you place kitchen trash and ensure it is emptied as regularly as possible. Invest in one that opens up when you step on it, so you don’t have to touch the bin with your hands every time you need to deposit trash. These tips will go a long way in improving hygiene and sanitation in your kitchen.