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The kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s where everyone loves to gather over a hot meal and where the best conversations always occur. It’s also a common place for harmful bacteria to lurk. When you are finished cooking, it’s important to properly sanitize the kitchen so that nothing but joy is spread to the people you love.
Wash Your Dishes and Silverware
No one loves dishwashing, but there are ways to make the job a little easier. One way is to wash as you go. Washing a dish or two is easy. What becomes overwhelming is the massive pile of dishes spilling from your sink and filling the countertop after the meal is over. When you finish with a pot or utensil, clean it right away. Ideally, all the dishes you use for meal prep will be washed or loaded into the dishwasher before mealtime. After the meal, wash the dishes immediately, no matter how desperately the couch is calling you. This will prevent that stubborn dried food residue from forming. If you can’t get to the dishes right away, soak them in a bath of warm, soapy water. Be especially vigilant with silverware and glassware, because these are what people put their mouths on.
Wipe Down Your Counters
Once the dishes are done, do a final wipe down of your counters. This is an important step, because food preparation can leave behind crumbs, grease, and juices from all sorts of foods. Use a cleaner that cuts grease and disinfects. You don’t want to leave germs and bacteria to grow on the surfaces you use to prepare and eat your food. Harsh chemical cleaners can work, but aren’t necessary. You can use dish soap and essential oils to create your own cleaning products.
Clean Your Cooking Surfaces and Sweep Your Floor
With the dishes and counters finished, it is time to turn your attention to any other cooking surfaces you used. Inspect your stovetop, oven, and microwave for any spills or splatters and take care of them right away. Spillovers and oil splatters are common, and you don’t want to burn messes onto them the next time you turn the appliance on. When your dishes and surfaces are all clean, you can do a quick sweep of the floor and you are done!
Try to establish a habit of cleaning up this way every time you cook. That way your kitchen will always be a sanitary and happy place to be. No one likes dealing with a huge, overwhelming mess in the kitchen. Make it easy for yourself by cleaning as you go and never letting it get overwhelming in the first place.
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