Kitchen Cleanliness

It’s a well-known fact that the kitchen can harbour millions of germs, so use the guide below to make sure you and your family avoid any nasty illnesses:

1. Work surfaces

You should keep every area of food preparation in your kitchen perfectly clean, so after using make sure you wipe them down thoroughly. Warm water and washing up liquid is quite sufficient if you do it regularly, if not use an anti-bacterial spray. Tackle any stains with a purpose kitchen cleaner, or if stains are stubborn, use a cream cleanser or a paste of bicarbonate of soda with water. Finger-marks on stainless steel can be removed with a microfibre cloth, and avoid using an abrasive cleanser on granite surfaces.

2. Kitchen Sink

Every day you should wipe down the sink before and after each use, and every week you should disinfect it by filling it with warm water and a capful of bleach. Scrub around the plug-hole and overflow. Stainless steel sinks can be gently cleaned with a cream cleaner to prevent scratching, and ceramic sinks just need warm water and a cream cleaner to keep them looking as new. Acrylic sinks can be refreshed with a weak bleach solution.

3. Kitchen Hobs

Gas hobs can be taken apart for the majority of cleaning and the stands can be soaked in a detergent with hot water. Scrub the burners with bicarbonate of soda and water paste, and wipe the base with warm soapy water. Use a soft microfibre cloth to buff up all surfaces when dry. Ceramic hobs can scratch and mark easily, so try not to scrape the surface or use any abrasive cleaning products. Try and wipe off any spills as soon as they happen, and use a plastic scraper if food has burnt on.

4. The Fridge

To keep your fridge hygienically clean you should aim to take out all of the shelves each week and wash them in warm soapy water before rising ready to put back in. Wipe the inside of the fridge out with a solution of bicarbonate of soda and water. Clean the rubber seals and finish off with the outside of the fridge and the handles. About twice a year you should pull the fridge away from the wall and vacuum the cooling elements at the back. This will make the fridge more efficient.

5. The Freezer

When ice starts to build up inside the freezer you need to de-frost. Try and do this when your freezer is at its emptiest. Take out all the frozen food and either store in the freezer compartment of your fridge, or wrap in newspaper. A bowl of hot water inside the freezer will speed up the process. Once the ice is all melted wipe out with a clean cloth before re-stocking. To keep the freezer working efficiently you should do as with the fridge and move the appliance away from the wall to vacuum the elements behind about twice a year.

If you need help with any of your cleaning, you should contact your local cleaners  who will professionally tackle all these tasks for you.