Cleaning and ‘properly cleaning’ are two very different things and though for a while at least appearances of the end result may be somewhat similar, they’re not!
Germs and bacteria lurk throughout your kitchen and though the most obvious and potentially most damaging parts of the home may be clean as a whistle, other harder to reach places often aren’t. Generally, these are the places we forget about, find it hard to clean or are of the opinion that once out of site they are out of mind.
Deep Cleaning your New Kitchen
So, where are the germiest places in your kitchen that you’re probably not cleaning? We take a look so the next time you sort your kitchen you know where to scrub, disinfect and clean.
Cutting Boards
Cross contamination is a serious issue in the kitchen and can potentially cause all sorts of problems. Whether you have wood or plastic boards you’ll need to ensure that they’re clean to prevent issues with bacteria and foods – not nice!
Placing plastic boards in the dishwasher is a good idea, while wooden ones are best cleaned by being placed in the microwave. Both need to be air dried and then stored away to prevent the potential for bacteria growth and problems that go with it. It’s also worth replacing boards with a lot of scrapes and nicks as this is the perfect place for germs to harbour.
Kitchen Doors, Cupboard Handles and Buttons
Even though you don’t realise it, you probably cut meat and then open a cupboard with raw meat laden hands. This means that the bacteria ends up on the cupboard and leaves a lot of potential for future illness. Anti-bacterial wipes and sprays should be used once a day to disinfect these cupboards, surfaces and any areas in the kitchen used for food prep.
Coffee Machines
Coffee machines are damp and dark places and once more that means they are the ideal place for germs to live. Even though coffee machines are hot and coffee has antimicrobial properties, they don’t add up to enough to kill germs. The best way to clean them is to run a mix of half vinegar and half water through them once a month. This prevents the growth of mold, bacteria and ensures they’re no nasties in there.
Oven Doors in your New Kitchen
The oven door like kitchen doors and specifically the edges of the oven door are germ filled, often seriously so. Ideally, ovens should be cleaned once a month with a quality oven cleaner. The area and seal around the doors is often quite hard to get into and a toothbrush is often the best option if you want to ensure that this area is clean. This can be done with dishwashers, fridges and freezers in the kitchen – these are all common areas where a deep clean can help. It might also be worth a fridge, freezer or dishwasher repair or service when doing this too.
Sponges – Keep your New Kitchen Clean
Ironically, one of the dirtiest items in the whole kitchen is one that’s meant to clean it. Sponges are damp, moist and crevice city and filled with germs. The fact we all rub down out kitchens with them doesn’t help either, as it spreads bacteria throughout the room.
The only real way to prevent sponges spreading bacteria is to disinfect sponges once a week with bleach for a few minutes. An alternative is to place them in the microwave for a couple of minutes – this is equally as effective as bleaching.
Sinks
The sink is similar to the sponge, in that you use it to keep things clean yet it’s one of the dirtiest area of the whole kitchen. Spending time cleaning your sink out properly and that means the hard to reach groves, is worth it. One of the best ways to do so is to use baking soda, vinegar, salt, lemons and ice cubes.
Tops of Cupboards
How many of us store bowls, plates and other items on top of our cupboards? A lot of us! However, how many of us end up cleaning these areas? Not that many. The top of cupboards as well as doors are the typical area that’s out of mind because it’s out of sight. Nevertheless, it’s often one of the dirtiest areas of the kitchen and one that holds germs, bacteria and dirt galore. Ideally, this area should be cleaned four times a year with an antibacterial soap. Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
Blinds
Blinds, especially shutter blinds can be quite disgusting places. Dirt seems to end up caked to these and then loosen when they are opened and shut. Dirty blinds are best cleaned with vinegar. Simply create a solution of half vinegar and water and rub them down. The acidic nature of the vinegar will clean the blinds and leave them free of grime.
Your kitchen may look clean but is it? Well, if you follow these tips and take on board where the dirtiest areas in the room are, you can be sure that you’ll eradicate a lot more germs and have a far cleaner kitchen.
