It’s easy to accumulate a dirty kitchen after cooking; that’s why it’s important to make sure it’s cleaned up properly. Germs lurk in your kitchen, but luckily it’s easy to prevent them to keep your kitchen germ-free. Here are some tips to have a cleaner kitchen and easier to cleanup.

1. Have a Clean Countertop and Sink

Keeping your sink and countertop clean with cleaning products will help eliminate bacteria. It is especially important to clean the surface areas after any raw fish or meat were placed in or on them.

2. Wash Your Dishcloths and Swap For a New One

Dishcloths are used to dry dishes in the kitchen as well as to dry off clean hands. Therefore, they gather up a lot of bacteria and must be washed at least twice weekly and swapped for a new, clean one.

3. Clean Your Sponges

Sponges absorb a lot of bacteria and require cleaning often or they will be impossible to use and a haven for germs. Wash sponges with water and soap or even try placing in the microwave for two minutes while wet. If the sponge has too much residue on it, throw it out and grab a new one.

4. Wash Your Cutting Boards

Keep your cutting boards clean after every use with warm water and soap to disinfect it for next time. Wooden cutting boards are especially susceptible to germs and require frequent cleanings. Opt for a plastic cutting board to remove germs easily.

5. Disinfect Kitchen Handles and Switches

Cleaning the handles on your fridge, dishwasher, oven and microwave often goes neglected, but is a key part to maintaining a germ-free kitchen. Using disinfectant wipes will clean up any bacteria on these surfaces.

6. Keep Your Fridge Organized

The drawers in your fridge should each hold and separate food items by category from meat, vegetables, seafood and cheeses. Keeping food items separated is important in keeping a clean and safe kitchen. Try lining the bottom of your vegetable and fruit drawers with parchment paper to avoid germs.

7. Don’t Wash Your Meats Before You Cook

Meats do not require pre-cleaning before you use them to cook in any way. Simply open your package of meat and begin cooking it to avoid spreading bacteria to your sink or other utensils and countertops. This is called cross-contamination and should be avoided at all costs.

8. Wash Your Hands Frequently

In the kitchen, you are dealing with raw food items and therefore, it’s important to keep your hands as clean as possible just like the surfaces in your kitchen. Hand soap should always be accessible in your kitchen to use before, during and after you make your meal.

Keeping a germ-free kitchen can take a lot of work, and that’s why it’s most convenient to leave the job to a professional residential cleaning company who will get the job done effectively. Luna’s Janitorial will keep every surface of your kitchen bacteria-free so all you have to worry about is picking which recipe to try out on the family!