Cooking can be quite an enjoyable task and a great stress-buster. And it gets better when you have access to a neat and clean space, with every utensil and masala in its proper place - sounds like a perfect setup, right? An organised workstation not only brings inspiration, but also helps maintain a basic level of hygiene and food safety. It is very important to maintain a safe kitchen practice to avoid various health hazards. That's right. An unclean kitchen, with leftover food, grease and oil can turn into a breeding ground for germs and bacteria, increasing the risk of food-borne illnesses! To avoid it all and to ensure you eat a healthy meal every single time, clean up your kitchen regularly.
Now you must be wondering, cleaning the entire kitchen every single day is quite an elaborate and time-consuming job. Well, it is actually not! If you plan it well, maintaining a safe kitchen practice becomes a seamless affair. And to help you with planning, we have divided the whole process into five easy steps. Let's take you through them.
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5 Important Rules You Must Follow To Keep Kitchen Clean And Hygienic:
1. Maintain Personal Hygiene
This is probably the very first step toward a clean and healthy kitchen life. Start with washing your hands properly before touching any raw or cooked food ingredient in the kitchen. Also, cut and file your nails, tie your hair and keep a towel to wipe your face and hands frequently. The more hygienic you are, the better your kitchen life will be.
2. Store Food Properly
It is very important to keep your cooked meals and raw ingredients in the right kind of utensils and at the right place. For instance, you must always keep cooked food in closed containers inside the fridge. Next, dedicate a rack to your spices and store them in airtight containers. The herbs should be wrapped in cheesecloth or airtight pouches before storing in fridge. These basic steps will help keep food fresh and hygienic for long. Moreover, proper storage of food will also help avoid cross-contamination from harmful microorganisms.
Keep fresh fruits and vegetables in fridge. Photo Credit: iStock
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3. Wash Dishes Properly
It is very important to clean each and every utensil and kitchen tool properly. Leftover food in the utensils may lead to bacterial growth, further increasing the risks of food poising and other such illnesses. Also, never forget to wipe the utensils dry after each wash to avoid dampness, spotting or any kind of odour.
4. Clean Oven, Sink and Countertop
Many often ignore this step. Trust us, it plays a major role in keeping your kitchen safe. Any leftover food in the oven, on the countertop and in the sink (after washing utensils) becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and other germs. Besides, it also spreads a bad odour throughout the kitchen area after turning stale.
Always clean the kitchen slab, cupboards, etc.
5. Keep Waste Bin
It is important to keep at least two separate waste bins in the kitchen - one for dry waste and another for the wet waste. Also, make sure you dispose these every single day to avoid any foul smell or germs growth in the area.
Does the process look tough? Not at all! We suggest, learn it by heart and follow the steps religiously to enjoy a healthy and happy kitchen every single day.
Happy cooking!