How Clean is Your Kitchen?

Kitchens are the engine rooms of our homes. It's where we cook, often eat, store our food, deal with our garbage, and often where the laundry is done. So it's important our kitchens are serviced regularly.

The kitchen is the heart of our homes so we need to make sure we don't give it a coronary! Whether you or your helpers work in the kitchen, here are a few tips for a clean and safe environment:

1. Remove unnecessary clutter from surfaces. Discard or store appliances you don't use any more.
2. Keep your ref clean and tidy. Before a major shop, remove the contents discarding old food and cleaning shelves and racks.
3. Use a bin with a lid to keep smells at bay. Empty it as soon as it smells, even if it's not full. Wash and disinfect once a week.
4. Change the dishcloth you wipe surfaces with every day.
5. Use two chopping boards, one for raw meats and a separate one for veggies. Germs can survive on chopping boards for several hours. Always scrub chopping boards with soapy water and rinse under hot water. Dry with paper towels to avoid cross-contamination with germs on cloths.
6. To remove strong odors such as onion and garlic, squeeze calamansi juice onto the board and wipe with a damp cloth.
7. Keep kitchen floors free from debris and grease by sweeping and washing regularly.
8. Keep all surfaces spotlessly clean. Wipe down behind any surface appliances such as kettles, toasters, coffee-makers, food processors and microwaves, and of course, clean the appliances themselves. Use soapy water and a clean cloth - otherwise you'll just be spreading the bacteria around. Don't neglect splash backs, handles or light switches - anything you touch while preparing food.
9. There's no need to spend extra for anti-bacterial cleaners all the time - good old fashioned soapy water is very effective.
10. Microwaves are often overlooked. No need for them to be dirty as they are easy to clean. Wipe over with a damp cloth soaked in soapy water after each use. Remove and wash the glass turntable in soapy water. Vacuum the vents with the soft brush attachment.
11. To remove stains from the white interiors, use a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water. Don't use steel wool pads as they could scratch and lead to rusting.
12. And don't forget the kitchen sink. This is a vital part of our kitchen equipment. It's used for preparing veggies, eat, fish and other food as well as washing up the pots, pans and dishes so it's important we keep it clean.
13. Ceramic sinks get discolored easily. To restore whiteness, fill the sink with cold water and a cupful of bleach and leave it to soak.
14. To remove rust marks from stainless steel sinks, rub with a little lighter fuel.
15. And don't forget the faucets. A little wipe round with a cloth, buffing dry, brings them up looking good. Give the drain and overflow a lot of attention too - a bottle brush is great for reaching inside.