If you're like many people, you're probably spending more time at home in light of current events. Whether you're cooking more or preparing food you've ordered, you're probably using your kitchen more than ever before. In this article, we're taking a closer look at how to keep your kitchen clean. How to Keep Your Kitchen Clean Study after study results in information proving that your kitchen is perhaps the dirtiest place in your home. That’s right – the place where you cook and prepare meals is infested with germs and bacteria. This is why it is so important to make sure you are keeping your space clean. Now, you should know that there is a difference between simply having a clean space and having a sanitarily cleaned space. For your kitchen (and other areas of your home), you want the latter. Think about it – so many things that you touch in your kitchen will end up going in your mouth. How clean is that cup? What did your hands touch? How about that kitchen sponge you washed your silverware with? There is so much to learn about keeping your kitchen clean and safe. Because maintaining the health of your kitchen directly impacts your physical health, we want to provide you with the proper ways to keep your kitchen clean. Here's how to keep your kitchen clean. What’s In Your Sink? Rumor has it that your kitchen sink is one of the germiest places in your entire house – and maybe even more so than your toilet. Yikes! Think of all the things that go into your sink – before you cook, as you cook, after you cook, etc. It needs to be properly cleaned as germs from cold viruses as well as bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella can thrive in your sink. In fact, it can easily become a breeding ground. To properly clean your sink, you can invest in a variety of kitchen cleaners that are designed to kill germs and bacteria. However, a simple solution of bleach and water used daily can help to tremendously reduce the level of germs and bacteria tremendously. As you clean, be sure to wipe down every part of your sink, including the drain, plugs, faucet, sprayer, etc. Your Dirty Cleaning Sponge You use your kitchen sponge to clean things, right? You clean your dishes, your countertops, and so on. However, did you know that they only thing in your house more germy than your kitchen is this sponge? That’s right – you are cleaning your dirty kitchen and dirty dishes with a dirty sponge. Bacteria, yeast, mold, and even staph bacteria have been found on kitchen sponges. Perhaps it is time to think again before you use your sponge. Here’s what you can do to keep it safe: Every day, wet your sponge and microwave it for two minutes. Be sure to replace your kitchen sponge at least every two weeks. Your Cutting Board and Food Prep Area As you prep your food, you are handling raw meats, unwashed produce, and so forth. All the surfaces that these items touch have the chance of being contaminated. In addition, if you are one who washes your meat and poultry before cooking – you need to stop. While washing produce makes it safer to eat, washing meat and poultry will not kill harmful bacteria. Want to know what it does? It splatters and drips the potentially harmful bacteria all around your kitchen. Consider using a separate cutting board for meat, produce, and bread. This will reduce the chance of cross-contamination. In addition, use a solution of bleach and water and wipe down all of your surfaces after cooking. Wash Your Hands It may seem like a basic step, but washing your hands can have a huge impact on keeping your kitchen clean. Take a moment to think about how many times – and how well – you wash your hands when you cook. Everything you touch has the potential for becoming infected with the germs on your hands. If you aren’t properly washing, this means your countertops, cabinets, faucet, appliance handles, plates, utensils, and more are all coming in contact with the germs you are carrying on your hands. To solve this problem and keep your kitchen cleaner, wash your hands. You should use warm water, hand soap (preferably the antibacterial variety), and wash for at least twenty seconds. Get all areas of your hands before rinsing. Do this before you cook, as you cook, and after you cook. Invest in Stainless Steel Appliances Have you ever wondered why commercial kitchens always tend to have stainless steel appliances as well as prep tables? Well, it is not necessarily just because it looks good. See, surfaces have grooves, whether you see them or not, so when they have germs or bacteria upon them, it can get down into these small grooves and begin breeding more. With stainless steel, however, this does not happen. Stainless steel is a non-porous surface which means you are able to maintain a germ-free space. Now, there is a good chance you aren’t going to have stainless steel countertops in your home kitchen, but you can cut back on the spread of germs by investing in stainless steel appliances. Disinfect Your Surfaces There are so many surfaces in your kitchen that germs and bacteria may be trying to call home. For instance, you countertops, cupboards, sink, floors, walls, appliances, and more. Think of this as a battle – you want to keep your family healthy, so it is you against the bacteria. Because you are hoping to become the champion here, this cleaning will go into two parts. First, clean. Use soap or other general kitchen cleaning solutions and wipe down all your surfaces. This reduces the number of bacteria and/or germs present in the kitchen. Then, sanitize. The best way to do this is, again, a simple solution of bleach and water. Use this to wipe down all of the surfaces. Finally, dry if necessary. Germs and bacteria can make us very sick. All it takes is for our hands to touch an infected surface and then touch our nose, mouth, or eyes. Just like that, we can find ourselves on the way to getting sick. Halt this from happening by being proactive in the cleaning of your kitchen – and saving yourself and your family from any resulting sickness.
