Easy habits to develop for a more hygienic kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s where we catch up with the kids, gather with friends, and cook nutritious life-giving meals.

So, when it isn’t clean and germ-free, you may find it impacting your overall outlook on your home – and the world.

In a time when we need to be more health conscious, finding ways to lead healthier lifestyles without compromising on time should be a top priority.

There are so many simple changes you can make to lead a more hygienic life, and we’ll share a few easy tips to get the process started.

Five tips for a more hygienic kitchen

1. Wash your hands with sanitising soap before you touch surfaces and start working with food. This prevents germs from spreading from your hands onto the kitchen counters or the food. If you change cooking stations or move to a different part of the kitchen, wash your hands again before switching.

2. Wipe down the counters before and after preparing meals. This gets rid of any germs that may have made their way onto the surface between meal times, and prevents germs from accumulating on surfaces. If you move to a different part of the kitchen while you’re cooking, wipe down that surface before you begin your next phase of chopping or marinating.

On the topic of wiping surfaces, don’t forget to clean your chopping boards. Old-fashioned soap works well on plastic boards, while lemon and salt are effective when cleaning wooden boards.

3. Clean fruits and vegetables. You should not wash them before putting them in the fridge, but rather just before you’re about to eat or prepare them. Washing them long before cooking means they lose nutritional value and won’t last as long.

When it comes to keeping your food germ-free and fresher for longer, the LG InstaView Door in Door refrigerator with HygieneFresh

air filtration system purifies the air and eliminates unpleasant odours inside your fridge. It’s the perfect kitchen partner if you want to increase the lifespan of fresh produce.

4. Keep raw foods cool. Raw food like meat and fish needs to be kept cool in a temperature-controlled space. When preparing meat, only take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before you start cooking, so it stays chilled for as long as possible. Sudden temperature changes, as well as exposure to heat, can impact the quality of your produce and lead to spoiling.

5. Don’t let dirty dishes pile up. A pile of dirty dishes is an obvious germ playground. So, instead of letting them spread out in the scullery, clean up as you go along. Not only is it a healthy habit to create, but it will also save on wash-up time after supper.

And don’t forget the taps. Germs can collect in these spots and end up in your drinking water. No one wants that.

A more hygienic kitchen doesn’t mean you need to completely reimagine the way you do things. Instead, it’s about making small habitual changes that after a while, you won’t even be aware of.

With the right appliances, some of the heavy lifting will be done for you.

Don’t let germs take over your kitchen. – Citizen reporter