Keep Your Kitchen Clean and Safe

Although they are not visible threats, the many micro-organisms lurking in your kitchen can infect your cooking and eating, and consequently have a negative effect on your health.

Food poisoning and diarrhea are just some conditions which might be caused by preparing food in a dirty, germ-infested kitchen.

In order to prevent these, you need to make sure that your kitchen is kept clean and safe from bacteria and other germs.

Here are ways to ensure the cleanliness of your kitchen and keep bacteria at bay.

Steps

 * 1)  Remove unnecessary clutter from surfaces. Discard appliances and gadgets that you don't use any more, as unused appliances would only tend to gather dust. Be sure that any appliances which are still maintained and used are stored in a safe place that is out of reach of children.
 * 2)  Keep your refrigerator clean and tidy. Before your do your weekly shopping, remove old and rotten food and clean shelves and racks. Look at expiration dates and be sure to label any containers of homemade food or leftovers. Don't make a habit of keeping food for too long in the fridge; rotten food will breed bacteria, and may even contaminate fresh food that is kept in the same area.
 * 3)  Use a trash bin with a lid to keep odors out that attracts flies and other insects. Empty it as soon as it smells, even if it is not yet full. You should ideally do this everyday.
 * 4)  Wash and disinfect your trash bin once a week. This will ensure that any germs which might have remained even after you emptied out the garbage will die and cannot multiply. Also, this will remove any foul smells which might be emanating from the trash bin.
 * 5)  Use separate chopping boards for different kinds of food. Keep separate chopping boards for your meat and your vegetables to reduce the spread of bacteria. Clean the meat chopping board extra carefully, especially after cutting chicken, as raw food has a higher tendency of containing bacteria.
 * 6)  Change the dishcloth you wipe surfaces with every day. Use a different cloth for surfaces than for dishes. Launder the cloth with hot water and, as appropriate, bleach. Use separate towels for hands and dishes, and change both of those regularly, too.
 * 7)  Use a paper towel for any mess that is particularly likely to cause contamination, such as raw meat or eggs, and anything that has fallen on the floor. It is better to use cleaning material that you can easily throw out after and prevent from contaminating other food, instead of using towels or sponges which you would still be likely to use again afterwards.
 * 8)  Keep kitchen floors free from debris and grease by sweeping and washing regularly. If something has spilled, make sure to mop it right away instead of letting the mess stay there. Aside from making sure that germs do not use the spillage as a breeding ground, immediate mopping would also prevent unwanted accidents such as slipping from occurring.
 * 9)  Don't leave dirty crockery and pans to fester where they can attract harmful bacteria. Wash dishes with hot water and soap as soon as you're done using them.
 * 10)  Wash surfaces that get touched. Periodically wipe doorknobs, handles, buttons and controls, and light switches in and around your kitchen with alcohol. Even if they seem clean to the naked eye, they may already be harboring bacteria.
 * 11)  Wash your hands before handling food and again if you sneeze or cough, blow your nose, go to the bathroom, or touch high-use surfaces.

Tips

 * If you have pets, don't leave their dirty food dishes out after meals. They will attract flies and potentially rodents. Also, make sure that your kitchen is free from any pet hair as this could also potentially trigger conditions such as allergies and asthma.
 * Cat litter trays should not be in the kitchen. Move them to a more appropriate room, such as a bathroom, mud room, garage, or laundry room.
 * Wipe up spills in your microwave whenever they occur.

Warnings

 * Wear gloves and appropriate clothing while cleaning and working in the kitchen.

Related Tips and Steps

 * How to Avoid Food Poisoning
 * How to Clean the Insides of a Double Pane Window in Your Oven Door
 * How to Clean Discoloured Aluminium Saucepans
 * How to Polish Granite Counter Tops
 * How to Clean a Blackened or Burnt Coffee Pot

Sources and Citations

 * http://www3.telus.net/findNchoose/KitchenTips.html