For many people, kitchens are their favorite room in the house, and it’s no wonder why: kitchens are where our families gather, where we cook, and where we eat! But kitchens, because they’re full of raw food, can also be full of harmful mold, yeast, and bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli. How can we fight these nasty bugs and keep our food-prep and eating areas squeaky clean? Here are some suggestions to take care of some of the germiest items in your kitchen, from your local professional home cleaning company in Austin, Texas!
Garbage disposal – Before cleaning the garbage disposal, always be sure that it’s off and cannot be turned on. Use a chlorinated cleansing powder and a long-handled brush to scrub the inner walls of the disposal and the underside of the plastic splash guard. Rather than rinsing, let the powder stay put until the next time the disposal is used. Do this about once a month.
Sink drain and P-trap – At nighttime, pour a cup of hot water down the drain, wait a minute, and then pour in one cup of undiluted chlorine bleach. Let it stand over night without rinsing. Do this every week or two.
Refrigerator – Clean up spills immediately, and toss old food before it begins to mold or decay. Every three to six months, remove everything from the refrigerator and clean all the interior and exterior surfaces with a solution of bleach and water.
Food-prep appliances – For items such as egg beaters, blenders, and food processors, clean any dishwasher-safe pieces in the dishwasher. For sections that can’t be dishwashed, remove any food debris from crevices and other tight areas, then wipe down with a solution of bleach and water or white vinegar and water. Do this every time these items are used.
Can openers – Whether yours is electric or manual, clean it after each use with a bleach or vinegar solution.
Cutting boards – You should always have at least two separate cutting boards, one that’s only used for meat and one that’s only used for fruits and vegetables. Clean them after each use. The one for meat should be sprayed or wiped with a bleach solution and allowed to air dry – rinse it with clear water before the next use to remove residual bleach flavor.
Countertops – Clean them thoroughly, then wipe with a bleach or vinegar solution and air dry. Do this every day.
Sponges, scrubbers, and dishrags – Rinse sponges and dishrags after each use, and then wring them out so they will dry faster. Clean sponges in the dishwasher and dishrags in the washing machine (on hot) at least once a week, or every time they’re used to wipe the floor, clean up after pets, or clean up from raw meat. If you don’t have a dishwasher, toss sponges after a week or after each messy clean-up. Metal or plastic scrubbers can be cleaned in the dishwasher or soaked in a bleach-and-water solution for ten minutes.
Following these procedures will help keep your kitchen cleaner and safer, and don’t forget to contact It’s Cleaning Time for all your regular and deep-cleaning needs, including wiping down and sanitizing kitchen counters, cleaning refrigerators, and cleaning small appliances.
