27Oct2023
The 8 Dirtiest Places In Your Kitchen
It is a fact that the kitchen, which is often considered the heart of a home, gets dirty more than any other room. It needs frequent work to maintain cleanliness and hygiene. Firstly, you will see the obvious mess, including sticky floors, used dishes, and a dirty oven.
It is more than possible that germs and bacteria will find their way to all the places and items. Since they are used on a daily basis, they become breeding grounds for contaminants and germs. The first step is to discover these areas and find out how to clean them.
Here are the 8 dirtiest places in your kitchen. These will help you to conduct a successful cleaning session that covers every corner.
Items like cellulose sponges, sink-scrubbing brushes and other similar items are known to contain high bacteria levels, especially if not washed on a frequent basis. For maintaining hygienic sponges and brushes, start by thoroughly rinsing them. Next, microwave them at high temperature for around a minute. Lastly, expert end of lease cleaners in Geelong recommend replacing these items regularly to keep your environment clean.
Cutting boards, especially wooden ones, can shelter bacteria in the nooks and crannies even if used only once. When you cut off fruits and vegetables, the knife cuts into the board will be able to trap the particles, making it the perfect breeding ground for germs. So, to ensure it stays clean and disinfected at all times, remember to wash the boards using hot and soapy water after every use. For the wooden ones, do not soak them. To disinfect the board, prepare a mixture of one part white vinegar and four parts water and apply it. It will help in getting rid of bacteria and lead to a clean and safe cutting board. This way, you will be able to maintain personal hygiene.
The sink and drain gather food residue every day. These food particles can make way for pests. Both of them should be taken care of after meal preparation. Use a scrub brush along with hot, soapy water to clean the sink. For the complete disinfection, mix water with bleach. Ideally, use one tablespoon of bleach for every gallon of water. Use it for sanitising the sink. To prevent clogs and odours, use a mixture of baking soda and vinegar and pour it down the drain before following with hot water.
Almost all the appliances in your kitchen will induce some sort of control panel or handle that is touched every time you use it. So, this makes it essential to clean them every week. Professional end of lease cleaners in Geelong recommend using a homemade DIY disinfecting cleaner for eco-friendly cleaning. Prepare a solution using one part vinegar and four parts water and apply on the handle. Wipe it using a clean cloth. This will ensure the high-touch areas like the handle are clean and germs-free.
Neglecting your countertops is not a wise decision. More often than not, it is where you put items in addition to being a place for food preparation. Use a DIY disinfectant spray and wipe using a clean cloth. The recommendation is to clean the countertop at least once per day, ideally before preparing the food. For the weekly cleaning routine, follow a complete kitchen cleaning checklist. Every week, take your time to get into the corners, under the small appliances, as well as the edges.
Another dirty spot that is often touched is the spice containers. It is possible that you may touch them after being in contact with raw foods. Over time, these containers can accumulate germs, which is not ideal. Give them a quick wipe down along with using the DIY disinfectant and a damp cloth. Ensure your hands are washed and clean during this process to prevent cross-contamination. Do it each time after preparing a dish and conduct deep cleaning every week.
The dish rack is one of the most neglected areas during the kitchen cleaning process. They can accumulate water and food debris, leading to an ideal environment for mould and bacteria. The budget end of lease cleaners in Geelong recommend disassembling the dish rack and cleaning it thoroughly using hot and soapy water. Pay special attention to all the nooks and crannies to make sure that it is free from germs. Before reassembling, let it air dry completely.
The moist interior of the coffee maker can promote mould growth. On the other hand, the water reservoir and the coffee pot can make way for mineral deposits. It is one of those appliances that require cleaning after every use. While regular cleaning is fine, expert end of lease cleaners in Geelong recommend preparing a weekly routine. This will make a big difference in the long run. It is best to run a mixture of white vinegar and water (equal parts) through a brewing cycle. Next, run a few more cycles using just plain water. This will ensure there are no residues left of vinegar.
Kitchen cleaning is not straightforward. You need to take care of a lot of surfaces and items. Some cleaning routines may fall short as the kitchen is used frequently. By knowing which ones are the dirtiest places and the method to clean them, you will be able to prepare the ideal cleaning routine.
1. Unhygienic Kitchen Sponges and Brushes
Items like cellulose sponges, sink-scrubbing brushes and other similar items are known to contain high bacteria levels, especially if not washed on a frequent basis. For maintaining hygienic sponges and brushes, start by thoroughly rinsing them. Next, microwave them at high temperature for around a minute. Lastly, expert end of lease cleaners in Geelong recommend replacing these items regularly to keep your environment clean.
2. Dirty Cutting Boards
Cutting boards, especially wooden ones, can shelter bacteria in the nooks and crannies even if used only once. When you cut off fruits and vegetables, the knife cuts into the board will be able to trap the particles, making it the perfect breeding ground for germs. So, to ensure it stays clean and disinfected at all times, remember to wash the boards using hot and soapy water after every use. For the wooden ones, do not soak them. To disinfect the board, prepare a mixture of one part white vinegar and four parts water and apply it. It will help in getting rid of bacteria and lead to a clean and safe cutting board. This way, you will be able to maintain personal hygiene.
3. Clogged Sink and Drain
The sink and drain gather food residue every day. These food particles can make way for pests. Both of them should be taken care of after meal preparation. Use a scrub brush along with hot, soapy water to clean the sink. For the complete disinfection, mix water with bleach. Ideally, use one tablespoon of bleach for every gallon of water. Use it for sanitising the sink. To prevent clogs and odours, use a mixture of baking soda and vinegar and pour it down the drain before following with hot water.
4. Frequently Touched Knobs and Handles
Almost all the appliances in your kitchen will induce some sort of control panel or handle that is touched every time you use it. So, this makes it essential to clean them every week. Professional end of lease cleaners in Geelong recommend using a homemade DIY disinfecting cleaner for eco-friendly cleaning. Prepare a solution using one part vinegar and four parts water and apply on the handle. Wipe it using a clean cloth. This will ensure the high-touch areas like the handle are clean and germs-free.
5. Greasy Kitchen Countertops
Neglecting your countertops is not a wise decision. More often than not, it is where you put items in addition to being a place for food preparation. Use a DIY disinfectant spray and wipe using a clean cloth. The recommendation is to clean the countertop at least once per day, ideally before preparing the food. For the weekly cleaning routine, follow a complete kitchen cleaning checklist. Every week, take your time to get into the corners, under the small appliances, as well as the edges.
6. Stained Spice Containers
Another dirty spot that is often touched is the spice containers. It is possible that you may touch them after being in contact with raw foods. Over time, these containers can accumulate germs, which is not ideal. Give them a quick wipe down along with using the DIY disinfectant and a damp cloth. Ensure your hands are washed and clean during this process to prevent cross-contamination. Do it each time after preparing a dish and conduct deep cleaning every week.
7. Neglected Dish Rack
The dish rack is one of the most neglected areas during the kitchen cleaning process. They can accumulate water and food debris, leading to an ideal environment for mould and bacteria. The budget end of lease cleaners in Geelong recommend disassembling the dish rack and cleaning it thoroughly using hot and soapy water. Pay special attention to all the nooks and crannies to make sure that it is free from germs. Before reassembling, let it air dry completely.
8. Mouldy Coffee Maker
The moist interior of the coffee maker can promote mould growth. On the other hand, the water reservoir and the coffee pot can make way for mineral deposits. It is one of those appliances that require cleaning after every use. While regular cleaning is fine, expert end of lease cleaners in Geelong recommend preparing a weekly routine. This will make a big difference in the long run. It is best to run a mixture of white vinegar and water (equal parts) through a brewing cycle. Next, run a few more cycles using just plain water. This will ensure there are no residues left of vinegar.
Wrapping Up
Kitchen cleaning is not straightforward. You need to take care of a lot of surfaces and items. Some cleaning routines may fall short as the kitchen is used frequently. By knowing which ones are the dirtiest places and the method to clean them, you will be able to prepare the ideal cleaning routine.