Kitchen Cleaning Checklist: Guide for Daily Cleaning Routine
The kitchen is the most important space in the house – it is where the family’s daily nourishment is prepared! But it is also the area in your house with the highest number of germs and pests.
In the interests of general hygiene and overall good health, it is important to keep the kitchen clean every single day. While you may safely leave your packed crockery and extra plates aside, you cannot ignore the surfaces of daily use – floor, counter, stove top and sink. These must be cleaned and wiped down every single day for a germ-free kitchen.
But merely cleaning the kitchen will not help – you must follow routine basic hygiene as well. We present a kitchen hygiene checklist for your reference:
1. Clean the floor every day: The floor sees the maximum number of food and liquid spills. It must be cleaned up at once before it attracts ants and flies. Also, spilled food deteriorates and develops bacterial growth and fungus. Spray some antibacterial cleaning solution (we recommend the Dettol Disinfectant Multi-Use Hygiene Liquid on the spilled area and wipe it down to eliminate the risk of germ and fungal entry.
2. Wipe the kitchen counter twice a day: You perform a variety of tasks on the kitchen counter. Thus, some of the highest concentrations of germs and bacterial strains are seen on the kitchen counter. These can easily get into your kitchen napkins, cutlery and crockery, chopping boards and your raw vegetables and meat. From here, it is only a short journey to your body. Follow the practice of wiping down the kitchen counter every night with an antibacterial spray and a clean cloth. This eliminates the possibility of germs thriving on the surface.
3. Keep all food covered: Whether apples and oranges in a fruit bowl, or cooked food in a glass container, all food must be kept covered at all times. Germs are quick to contaminate food, though they cannot survive at high temperatures. This is why doctors recommend that you boil your drinking water, especially in areas suffering water contamination from the municipal supply. Also, flies and other insects quickly converge on food and contaminate it further. Follow a routine of discarding leftovers within a day, reheating food before cooking and keeping all raw or cooked food in airtight containers.
4. Clean the kitchen sink and taps: The kitchen sink is a site of unstoppable bacterial activity. It is always wet and plates and cooking utensils are dumped in it with leftover food still stuck to their surfaces. These food particles decompose gradually and give rise to bacterial activity. The sink, its taps and the surrounding area must mandatorily be cleaned with a strong disinfectant cleaner twice a day to eliminate all traces of bacterial growth. Use the Dettol Kitchen Gel for the best results. After cleaning, wipe down the sink and taps with an antibacterial wipe and let it air dry.
5. Clean out the refrigerator once a month: Your kitchen hygiene checklist is incomplete without a cleaning trip to the refrigerator. The refrigerator stores all your food and its overall cleanliness will determine whether you eat healthy food or not. Though it is a slightly arduous task that you must perform relatively quickly (you cannot keep refrigerated items at room temperature for long), you must clean out the refrigerator with soap and water at least once a month. It is not advisable to use just any spray or cleaning liquid inside the refrigerator since it is in close proximity to your food, so choose the product wisely. If you must, use a sanitising spray, let it dry a little before wiping down the insides with a fresh antibacterial wipe.
In the interests of general hygiene and overall good health, it is important to keep the kitchen clean every single day. While you may safely leave your packed crockery and extra plates aside, you cannot ignore the surfaces of daily use – floor, counter, stove top and sink. These must be cleaned and wiped down every single day for a germ-free kitchen.
But merely cleaning the kitchen will not help – you must follow routine basic hygiene as well. We present a kitchen hygiene checklist for your reference:
1. Clean the floor every day: The floor sees the maximum number of food and liquid spills. It must be cleaned up at once before it attracts ants and flies. Also, spilled food deteriorates and develops bacterial growth and fungus. Spray some antibacterial cleaning solution (we recommend the Dettol Disinfectant Multi-Use Hygiene Liquid on the spilled area and wipe it down to eliminate the risk of germ and fungal entry.
2. Wipe the kitchen counter twice a day: You perform a variety of tasks on the kitchen counter. Thus, some of the highest concentrations of germs and bacterial strains are seen on the kitchen counter. These can easily get into your kitchen napkins, cutlery and crockery, chopping boards and your raw vegetables and meat. From here, it is only a short journey to your body. Follow the practice of wiping down the kitchen counter every night with an antibacterial spray and a clean cloth. This eliminates the possibility of germs thriving on the surface.
3. Keep all food covered: Whether apples and oranges in a fruit bowl, or cooked food in a glass container, all food must be kept covered at all times. Germs are quick to contaminate food, though they cannot survive at high temperatures. This is why doctors recommend that you boil your drinking water, especially in areas suffering water contamination from the municipal supply. Also, flies and other insects quickly converge on food and contaminate it further. Follow a routine of discarding leftovers within a day, reheating food before cooking and keeping all raw or cooked food in airtight containers.
4. Clean the kitchen sink and taps: The kitchen sink is a site of unstoppable bacterial activity. It is always wet and plates and cooking utensils are dumped in it with leftover food still stuck to their surfaces. These food particles decompose gradually and give rise to bacterial activity. The sink, its taps and the surrounding area must mandatorily be cleaned with a strong disinfectant cleaner twice a day to eliminate all traces of bacterial growth. Use the Dettol Kitchen Gel for the best results. After cleaning, wipe down the sink and taps with an antibacterial wipe and let it air dry.
5. Clean out the refrigerator once a month: Your kitchen hygiene checklist is incomplete without a cleaning trip to the refrigerator. The refrigerator stores all your food and its overall cleanliness will determine whether you eat healthy food or not. Though it is a slightly arduous task that you must perform relatively quickly (you cannot keep refrigerated items at room temperature for long), you must clean out the refrigerator with soap and water at least once a month. It is not advisable to use just any spray or cleaning liquid inside the refrigerator since it is in close proximity to your food, so choose the product wisely. If you must, use a sanitising spray, let it dry a little before wiping down the insides with a fresh antibacterial wipe.
