The kitchen is like the hub of your home, and it is definitely one of the most frequently used and most important parts of your home. So, you need to put some special effort into keeping the kitchen clean and tidy. Of course, everyone keeps their kitchen clean, but there are some elements of kitchen hygiene that many people aren’t aware of, and they are the major reason for problems like food poisoning.
The purpose of this post is to increase your awareness about kitchen hygiene and tell you about some mistakes that you should avoid. Here is a list of some useful rules to follow in the kitchen.
Store Food Properly in the Refrigerator
When it comes to storing food, refrigerators are very useful, and they are an essential appliance in the kitchen, but unfortunately, the most hygiene mistakes that are made in the kitchen are in the process of storing food in the refrigerator.
Remember not to store hot food in the refrigerator.
You should also keep all cooked and ready to eat food in covered containers to avoid cross-contamination.
When you are storing meat in the fridge, or the freezer remember to keep it in the lowest shelf because the blood from the meat can drip into other foods and contaminate them if it is placed in the top shelf.
Keep an eye on expiration dates to make sure that there isn’t any expired food stored in the fridge.
These are some of the basic tips you should follow to maintain a clean and healthy refrigerator.
Regularly Clean the Sink and the Drains
The favorite area in the kitchen for bacteria and germs is the drains and the sink. The grease and bits of food from the dishes that are washed in the sink can get stuck to the sides of the drain and start to rot. This is a great breeding ground for bacteria. So, you need to make sure that you keep the drains clean.
Cleaning drains is not hard either if you do it regularly. All you have to do is send some hot water down the drain every other day so that the grease cannot build up. In this simple way, you can significantly improve the hygiene of your kitchen.
Take the Trash Out Regularly
Usually, in an average kitchen, there is a lot of organic trash. The peels of fruits and vegetables, leftovers, eggshells, used tea bags and coffee grounds and many other things make their way into the kitchen trash can. If these items stay in the trash can for a little while, they can start to rot, they can create a lot of bacteria and germs, and the smell is also awful. So, the solution is taking your trash out regularly.
Most people make the mistake of getting a large trash can for the kitchen. Instead, you should have a small trash can that gets filled quicker so that you have to take the trash out. Also, make sure that the trash can has a lid that can be opened by your foot.
Protect the Kitchen from Tiny Intruders
The kitchen has a lot of delicious food in it, and it usually smells amazing. Where this smell attracts you and your family to the kitchen, it may also attract some unwanted guests. These tiny pests like rats and cockroaches are a real nuisance, and they affect the hygiene of the kitchen. These creatures can bring a lot of disgusting bacteria into the kitchen and cause a lot of diseases.
These unwanted guests have to be taken care of if you want a hygienic and clean kitchen. Now the problem is that you can’t really use poisonous sprays, or powder to repel these creatures because the poison can get into the food and cause a lot of serious problems. So, it is better to use traps and natural repellents to get rid of these pests.
First of all, start by covering all the drains and sealing off any entry points for rats and cockroaches. You can use a mousetrap with baits to catch the mice. You can check out the mouse bait reviews online to learn more about the process. You can also use natural pesticides that aren’t harmful to humans to repel these pests. Place dried basil leaves in your cupboards to repel cockroaches.
Wash All Vegetables and Fruits before Using and Storing Them
Another common mistake that is made by many people in the kitchen is that they don’t wash fruits and vegetables before using or storing them. Most of the time, these fruits and vegetables have been sprayed with tons of pesticides and insecticides, and if they aren’t washed, they can be dangerous for us.
If these vegetables or fruits are stored in the fridge, they can also contaminate other food items in the fridge. So, it is very important for a healthy and hygienic kitchen that you wash all of your fruits and vegetables before storing or using them.
Pay Attention to Oven Hygiene
Like the refrigerator, the oven is another main appliance of the kitchen. In the operation of an oven, many major mistakes are made. You need to clean up the inside of the oven after every use, and you should also regularly clean up the grease tray.
If you regularly use the oven, tiny bits of food and grease start to deposit inside the oven. This mixture of food bits and grease is a favorite of bacteria and germs, and they can contaminate the food the next time the oven is used. Also, if you are cooking meat in the oven, the greasy tray is also going to get full quicker. And not only is a dirty oven unhygienic, it is also a constant fire hazard because the small bits of food can cause smoking and catch on fire. Needless to mention, they make your oven less reliable and less energy efficient. So, make sure that you clean up the oven regularly.
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