We’re sure that you’ll agree the kitchen is the main room of the house and certainly the most busy as it tends to be the heart of the home. With lots of coming and going, cooking and entertaining it’s easy for the kitchen to become riddled with bacteria while looking spotless so it’s important to make sure your kitchen really is as clean as it looks.
Wash cloths and tea towels
When you’re using an old wash cloth for both the floor and on your dishes you’re spreading deadly bacteria around your entire kitchen which could end up in your mouth! Wash cloths regularly on a high heat and have separate cloths for different areas of your kitchen so there’s lower risk of contamination.
The floor
There is no such thing as the ‘5 second rule’, once food hits the floor it should immediately go in the bin. With more traffic than any other room and many people not taking their shoes off the floor harbours more germs and bacteria than the average toilet seat.
Chopping boards
We’re all guilty of not using the correct chopping boards when it comes to preparing fish and vegetables but by only using one you’re actually increasing your chances of contracting salmonella and other bacteria from meat. Ensure that your chopping boards are washed thoroughly or on a high heat in the dishwasher.
Cutlery
With all those dirty hands constantly scrabbling around in the cutlery drawer it’s no surprise your knives, forks and spoons are riddles with bacteria. Try to get into the habit of washing hands before reaching for the cutlery and only take what to need to lower the spread of germs.
The dishwasher
Everyone loves their dishwasher as it does the job you hate most but it also needs a bit of love and care to keep it performing at its best. Rinse heavily crusted plates before loading them in the dishwasher to decrease the risk of clogging the filter, run dishwasher salt through your machine every month or so and heck the filter too to clean off any food that has been trapped.
The cooker
Oven cleaning is big business and it’s no wonder why with 76% of household admitting to only cleaning their oven once a year. Trapped food, especially grease and fat can cause fires so it’s really important that you give your oven a good clean every so often to keep it in peak condition.
The washing machine
Again, most people don’t wash their machine as often as they should and a tell-tale sign of a washing machine in need is when it starts to smell a little off, like sewage. Run an empty drum on high heat to clean the inside and pipes every so often and you shouldn’t have any problems.