HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU CLEAN YOUR KITCHEN?
Have you already wondered about how often you should clean the different items in your kitchen? Truth being told, there is really no golden rule about it, but we have put together a list of recommendations, hoping it will help, and make your life easier
The fridge. We know we have been talking about this appliance already, but our food, and with it, our health has so much to do with it, that we thought there is no harm in highlighting, once again, the importance of keeping the fridge clean. That being said, we should do a deep cleaning of our fridge once per month, removing everything from it, including the shelves and drawers, handwashing them and disinfecting the inside of the appliance. Very importantly, don’t forget to dry everything up with a kitchen towel!
The microwave. How many times have you heard and avoided those small food explosions in your microwave? We are not the only ones guilty of this, right? Whether there are food spills or any other liquids that were left behind from defrosting food, it is important to clean them right away, avoiding this way unpleasant smells and unsanitary conditions. Furthermore, you should do a deep cleaning of the appliance on a weekly basis. This can be done fairly simple, just placing a bowl filled with a mix of water and vinegar, letting it heat during some minutes and then just wiping everything down with a sponge or a kitchen towel and washing the dish.
The oven. Much like the case of the microwave, it is important to clean the spills as they happen, rather than letting them dry. By doing so, you will make your life so much easier when you decide to do the deep cleaning, which by the way, we recommend you do between 2-4 times per year. This of course, depending on how often you are using your oven and how careful you are when preparing your meals.
The blender. That’s right, the multipurpose tool that you sometimes use for dressings and some other for smoothies or desserts. To avoid it catching any unpleasant smells, it is important to wash the cup properly after each use. To do a deep cleaning of it, you should remove all the moving parts, such as the knife, the rubber etc. It takes a bit more effort, but it is worth doing it every 3-4 uses in order to keep the appliance running properly and with no funky smells.
Well, now that we have covered the most common appliances, let’s move on to the different areas and surfaces in your kitchen.
The cabinet doors. While we are cooking, storing, organizing, we are always opening and closing cabinet doors and not necessarily with the hands always clean. Because of this, the cabinet doors end up piling hand prints and food spills, so we recommend disinfecting them every week.
The interior of the cabinets will also need your attention from time to time, though not as frequently as the cabinet doors. To keep them nice and clean, you should make sure to remove everything and clean the interior every three or four months. Same thing applies to your kitchen drawers!
The pantry. With all that we keep on storing in this space, it is pretty easy to forget that from time to time it also deserves a bit of care. Ideally, this should happen at the start of each season, removing all that it is inside, making sure to throw away any item that you don’t need anymore, or may have expired and of course, making space for the ingredients that you got for the new season. The added bonus to this is that you will finally know what you have stored and what should be used as soon as possible!