7 Easy Tips How to Ensure Sterility in the Kitchen

Germs are lurking everywhere in your kitchen. We lead such busy lives nowadays: It's hard to balance work, family, friends, pets, and countless other distractions. We forget about keeping the kitchen spotlessly clean. People need simple tips and advice to make their kitchen cleaning life easier. 

Luckily a quick trip to the grocery store can make a big difference to your kitchen cleanliness. Here in this blog are 7 tips on how to ensure sterility in your kitchen.

"A clean kitchen is a happy kitchen" - Unknown.

Everybody has their own way of doing things. How you keep your kitchen clean is probably different to how your family and friends clean their kitchen. It's easy to say, but the best way to clean a kitchen is the way that's most comfortable for you. 

However, that doesn't mean we can't improve our daily kitchen routine to make life a little easier for ourselves. Using basic items - bought from your local grocery store - can make a big difference. Whether you clean as you go or have a set schedule: we've got 7 tips you can add to your daily kitchen cleaning checklist.

Tip 1: For a Clean Kitchen, Wash Your Hands

We know, we know - not exactly a ground-breaking first tip is it? Allow me to explain. In these uncertain times of global viruses, one thing is for sure, washing your hands has never been a hotter topic than right now. 

Everybody knows your hands are one of the main ways to spread germs. But do you know what you should do when you prepare raw meat or seafood in your kitchen? Bacteria, viruses, or more shockingly parasites can be found hiding in raw foods. These dangers are an easy way to cause food poisoning.

After touching raw food you transfer germs to your kitchen, appliances and utensils. It's advised by health authorities to wash your hands before, after, and during the handling of raw meat or seafood. It's recommended you wash your hands again before you eat. 

To prevent you and your loved ones from getting sick, wash your hands thoroughly for 20 seconds whilst cooking and cleaning in the kitchen. Remember to buy soap or hand sanitizer the next time you go to the grocery store. 

Tip 2: A Clean Kitchen Sponge Ensures a Clean Kitchen

How often do you change your kitchen sponge? Maybe you use a dish scrub brush or even a dishcloth to clean your kitchen plates instead. It doesn't matter which one you choose, they all have the same problem: bad bacteria reside in them. Bacteria which can cross-contaminate and spread all around your kitchen.

And we don't want to alarm anyone, but the bacteria found in sponges has tested to be as serious as E. Coli and salmonella. Hard to imagine, isn't it? Such bacteria could cause you or your loved ones to be sick, and we definitely don't want that.

If you're anything like us, you've probably seen a dirty sponge in the kitchen from time to time. So exactly how often should we change our kitchen sponges or other kitchen materials?

According to one article in the New York Times you should change your kitchen sponge at least once a week. Some health and safety experts even suggest changing sponges, tea towels, aprons, and dishcloths daily! Maybe that's why we use a dishwasher in most professional kitchens. A dishwasher might just be the safest, easiest and cleanest option for clean cups, plates, and cutlery in your kitchen. Alternatively, stock your kitchen up with sponges from your local grocery store. 

Tip 3: Best Grocery Store Oven Kitchen Cleaner

What's your least favorite thing to clean in the kitchen? If you're like most people, you immediately shouted 'the oven!'. The oven is one of those things that usually need to be cleaned at least once per week in home kitchens. If you leave it any longer than a week, it takes a lot of work, some elbow grease, and a lot of time to remove any tough buildup.

We realize that cleaning the oven is something most people dread. That's why we've done some of the hard work for you. Whether you face tough oven stains, grease, baked-on spills, grime, oil, burned bits of food, or any other hard to clean gunk - we've got your back.

We've compiled a list of the best oven cleaners money can buy. It is list of cleaning products which will make your life that little bit easier. Now cleaning the oven won't be so hard after all. 

Tip 4: For a Clean Stainless Steel Kitchen Sink

It may be hard to believe, but some people still think it's enough to give the kitchen sink a quick rinse to clean it. That stainless steel sink looks clean enough, right? Well, your sink may not look dirty, but after a good clean, you'll have the distinct feeling you've been washing your plates in a dirty sink all along.

Our recommendation for the best cleaning practice is to use the rough side of your sponge (the scouring pad) to clean the inside of your sink. Make sure you follow the grain to keep your stainless steel kitchen sink clean. And don't forget to clean the faucet! There is a lot of mold and other disgusting substances hiding in places we often overlook.

To clean extra tough spots, try mixing typical grocery store baking soda and lemon juice and giving any nasty mold or trouble spots a good scrub with a brush or a scouring pad.

Tip 5: How to Clean the Kitchen Drain

The sink drain is one place in your home which can smell seriously bad. It's so easy to forget about it until it's too late. Make cleaning the drain a regular habit so that you avoid catching a whiff of any foul odors.

One simple cleaner for the sink drain is to pour 3 cups of boiling water down the drain, then 3 cups of cold water, followed by 3 cups of boiling water again. But is it enough? Probably not.

Have you ever heard of putting baking soda and vinegar down your sink drain? It sounds unusual, but It really unclogs your drain. It's also highly recommended by WikiHow and other reputable sources. Give it a try and make sure you let us know in the comments what you think of this method.

Tip 6: How to Clean Kitchen Floor Tiles

The kitchen floor can be a place with a lot of tough food stains, grime, and dirt in general. If you have kids, love to cook, or just have a lot of dirty shoes walking across those tiles all day - then your kitchen floor gets dirty pretty quickly.

What should you do to clean a kitchen floor tile properly? First, give your kitchen floor a good sweep or vacuum. Next, fill your mop bucket with a gallon of warm water. Then add a small amount of floor cleaner solution. Any grocery store-bought solution of your choice is fine. Finally, get started cleaning. It's that simple.

For an even cleaner kitchen floor, you may also want to add a ¼ cup of white vinegar bought from any grocery store. Interestingly enough, vinegar's been used as a disinfectant for thousands of years! It's recommended because it's cheap, non-toxic, and it doesn't stain. However, if you prefer to buy a disinfectant from the grocery store, that's OK too.

Tip 7: How to Clean Kitchen Cabinets

By now, you might have noticed a theme. Can you guess what magic liquid - found in every grocery store - we use to help clean the tough, grimy stains on your kitchen cabinets? That's right. It's vinegar.

For best results, use a spray bottle, or mix a 50/50 solution of vinegar and warm water in any other container. To clean your kitchen cabinets, use a sponge or a clean cloth. And for particularly tough stains, add a little washing up liquid for extra foam. 

Conclusion:

So that's our list. Seven tips to ensure sterility in the kitchen. Now you know what you should buy, next time you go to the grocery store, to have a healthy, clean kitchen in your home. 

Which tip was the most useful for you? What was missing? We'd love to hear your best kitchen cleaning tips. Share your favorite tips in the comments below.

Author’s Bio:

Catherine Wiley is a freelance writer with a deep passion for healthy cooking. Even she does not define herself as a food blogger, she mainly writes about wellness and food with an eye for healthy and organic recipes. She is also an adventurous traveler who loves to explore other continents for their rich cooking secrets.