Tips for Keeping your Kitchen Clean & Sanitary!
Clean and safe kitchens lower food risks and chances of catching food poisoning. It is essential to maintain proper cleanliness for all ages. The topic of safety in the kitchen conjures visions of cuts and burns, we will touch on this topic another day. Today, we focus on serious issues and hazardous possibilities that occur in our kitchen every day! People’s Trust Insurance would like to share some tips to keep your and your family physically safe while cooking, and for serving your family healthy, uncontaminated food.
- Sanitize your trash can – Wash and disinfect it once a week. This will remove any foul smells which may be lingering as well as stopping any additional bacterial growth.
- Wash surfaces people touch – Periodically wipe doorknobs, handles, buttons and controls, and light switches in and around your kitchen with cleaning agents. Even if they seem clean to the naked eye, they may already be harboring bacteria.
- Keep kitchen floors clean – Sweep and mop regularly to keep it free from debris and grease. Mop spills right away instead of letting the mess stay there.
- Wash your hands – Hands should be washed in warm water with soap at several points while a meal is being made, especially after working with raw items such as meat and eggs.
- Have multiple cutting boards – Use two or more cutting boards to prevent cross contamination and the spread of harmful bacteria. According to the Home Food Safety, “when juices from raw meats or germs from unclean objects accidentally touch cooked or ready-to-eat foods (such as fruits or salads), cross-contamination occurs.” Color-coding cutting boards and selecting specific utensils like ladles and flippers for meats and veggies will help to eliminate this issue.
- Decontaminate – To clean off a cutting board or any other item that has been used for meat, wash the board in hot water with soap. As an extra precaution, wipe the board down with a chlorine bleach solution and rinse with water.
- Do not take a sip and save it – Contents or liquid items can become contaminated by drinking out of the carton or bottle and placing it back in the fridge. This introduces new bacteria that may grow as it sits.
- Do not overload your fridge – Packing the fridge full of food actually prevents the circulation of cold air that keeps food items cold and slows the growth of bacteria.
- Reheat safely – Leftover food should be reheated to 165°F in order to kill harmful bacteria. Follow reheat instructions if you have them. If something doesn’t smell right, toss it.
- Defrost – Frozen items like meat should be defrosted in the refrigerator or in the microwave. When defrosting the item in the fridge, make sure to place it on a bottom shelf so juices don’t drip onto other foods. If the item has already been microwaved, make sure to cook it immediately.
Disclaimer: The information provided is for general informational purposes only and SHOULD NOT be relied upon as a substitute for sound professional advice.
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People’s Trust Insurance Company