How can you keep your kitchen germ free?
- Wash your hands before preparing food
- Declutter your kitchen counters
- Store food correctly
- Disinfect surfaces and vacuum floors
- Sterilize dishes
- Clean your sink
As you begin your routine kitchen cleaning, you may be convinced that your kitchen will be sparkling in no time. Currently, your pantry is perfectly arranged and even your ingredients are organized. We don't mean to be a total buzzkill, but your kitchen might look clean on the outside, but when you look closer it might be germ-infested. Any food preparation area is well-known for attracting microbes that could cause foodborne illness. Germs are usually situated on counters. They love contaminating food and the worst part about it - they’re invisible to the naked eye. If you’re wondering about how to keep your kitchen germ free, it's going to take more than your usual cleaning routine.
We’ve rounded up some great and helpful tips to help you keep your kitchen sanitary. Learn how to dispel germs and how to keep you and your family healthy. Read on!
Wash Your Hands Before Preparing Food
Washing your hands should be the number one priority before any meal preparation. Your hands may be touching numerous objects as you work on all types of activities throughout the day. You might have gone to the toilet, used your laptop for work, or touched your furry pets. These can result in your hands getting exposed to harmful germs.
Using hand sanitizers and antibacterial gels are great at reducing germs, but washing your hands is more effective when it comes to killing these unwanted microbes. By practicing proper and frequent hand washing, you are eliminating the risk of contaminating the food you consume.
Make it a habit to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before handling food items. Encourage your family to do the same. Ensure that you dry your hands afterwards because moisture buildup attracts the spread of germs even more.
Declutter Your Kitchen Counters
Remove all unnecessary items from your counters. Don’t let receipts, bills, keys, and other grocery items clutter it. In doing so, you’ll be doing yourself a favor when it comes to cleaning your kitchen counters.
You might also love how your collection of sauces and herbs look lined up. But, the more things placed on your counters, the harder it is to clean. The harder it is to clean, the less likely you are to clean it thoroughly. Keep only the items and appliances you use often on the counter. Make sure you clean around, behind, and under them regularly.
Store Food Correctly
Keep raw meat and fresh produce in airtight containers. By doing this, you are preventing juices from dripping onto other kitchen items and keeping microbes from breeding.
Check your food products as they usually have labels placed on it such as “use by” or “keep refrigerated”. Making sure food items are stored at the correct temperature prevents the growth of harmful bacteria.
Remember to keep food out of your fridge for the shortest time possible as microbes can easily breed on it. If you plan on cooling cooked food, do it for 1 to 2 hours tops then place it back in the refrigerator. Microbes require time to multiply and while small amounts of bacteria are considered low risk, extended time will cause them to double in number.
Disinfect Surfaces and Vacuum Floors
Aside from decluttering and wiping spills, your kitchen surfaces will need to be thoroughly disinfected. According to a study by researchers at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), when someone sneezes and coughs, the droplets can stay in the air and surfaces for 45 minutes.
Imagine that after sneezing, your child places a fruit on the same spot, and eventually, another family member eats it. Through these inconspicuous actions, germs can easily make their way into your body.
This is why it’s important to disinfect kitchen surfaces. Do this by using a bleach solution or an antibacterial spray. You can opt to use soap and water if you don’t want to make use of harsh chemicals. Wipe down your counters, cupboard handles, cutting boards, refrigerator handles, and even light switches. High-touch items like cabinet knobs should also be disinfected because they contain more bacteria.
For maximum disinfectant methods, you can vacuum your floors to clean up dirt, dust, and debris buildup. Use Hanabishi’s Vacuum Cleaner HVC 30C to get rid of specks of dirt and get your kitchen sparkling. It’s high suction power and permanent filter design is sure to tackle down the germs that found their way into your home.
Sterilize Your Dishes
After disinfecting surfaces, sterilizing dishes is the next essential step in ensuring a germ-free kitchen. When you sterilize dishes, you're killing harmful germs using high heat.
If you want to get rid of harmful bacterial growth, Hanabishi’s Dish Sterilizer HDS 12cuft is perfect for you. It is built with the most advanced technology available. It can effortlessly stop the growth of molds, kill bacteria, and protect your kitchen from disease-causing insects and rodents. The best part about it? It is equipped with UV lights to easily spot and get rid of germs.
For a more advanced option, try out Hanabishi’s Dish Sterilizer HDS 31 CUFT. This 3.1 cubic feet dish sterilizer kills 99.9% of germs and viruses with its ozone disinfection system.
Clean Your Sink
Your kitchen sink is the place where you wash your dishes, clean up food stains, and prepare your food. Sinks should be cleaned at least once a week to not harbor germ contamination.
According to research by the Long Island College Hospital of Brooklyn, New York, the kitchen sink serves as a feeding ground for illness-causing bacteria. These refer to the likes of E. coli, salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus that can easily get on your hands or spread to food. Scrub down your kitchen sink with baking soda, dish soap, and hot water. Start off from the sides of the basin and work your way down. Don’t forget your faucets and drains!
Key Takeaway
Hygiene plays a big role in minimizing the risk of falling ill. If you ever wonder about how to keep your kitchen germ free, you can follow the helpful tips stated in this article. Or, up your cleaning game with the recognized leading home appliances brand, Hanabishi. Stay healthy and keep your loved ones safe from harmful germs today!
