Even the best things in life can get messy – including your kitchen. There’s mess, and there’s gunk, germs, and bacteria. But a little bit of organization can go a long way. Following some Kitchen hygiene Rules like taking the time to properly store items, cleaning up after each use, and maintaining regular maintenance of appliances can save you time and hassle in the long run.
Brush Up on Your Kitchen Hygiene
Keep Your Hand Clean (Kitchen hygiene rule 101)
The most important kitchen hygiene rule is to keep your hands clean and germ-free. Bacteria can easily be transferred from raw foods to your hands and then to the rest of the kitchen, so wash your hands frequently during food preparation and before and after cooking.
This includes maintaining personal hygiene, such as keeping fingernails short and clean. Clean and appropriate uniforms, as well as physical fitness for work.
Cook Your Food Thoroughly
Making sure food is properly cooked is one of the most important kitchen hygiene rules. Undercooked food may contain harmful bacteria that can cause food poisoning. Keep in mind the following tips:
- Check the food for doneness by cutting into it.
- To ensure that the meat is cooked to the proper temperature, use a food probe thermometer.
- Make sure that any reheated food is piping hot.
- Serve cooked food at a minimum temperature of 70°C (the temperature range of 15°C to 55°C is when bacteria multiply the fastest).
Store Your Food Properly
Proper Food Storage
Safe storage is another of the most important food hygiene rules in the kitchen. Correct storage will help keep food safe from chemicals and harmful bacteria while also reducing contact between air and food. These simple guidelines will assist you in safely storing food:
- Cover leftovers or open food packets with cling film or store them in a sealed container.
- You should also use sealed containers for food that is kept on shelves or in the cupboard, such as flour, rice, and pasta.
- Warm food should not be refrigerated. It must first cool before being placed in the fridge or freezer as soon as possible (within two hours). Remember this when preparing family meals to freeze!
- Food should not be left out for more than two hours (this includes cut vegetables and fruit).
- Place food packages on plates to prevent juices from dripping onto countertops or fridge shelves; store them on the bottom shelf to avoid contamination.
- Remove any expired items from your refrigerator.
- Don’t overfill your fridge (it should have enough space for proper air circulation).
Clean Countertops
One of the simplest (and most important) basic kitchen hygiene rules is to wipe down kitchen counters after each use. You’ll not only be keeping things clean and tidy, but you’ll also be preventing the spread of bacteria.
Wipe down other high-touch areas on a regular basis, such as fridge door knobs, appliance handles, and taps
Avoid Cross Contamination
Don’t Cross Contaminate
If you’ve ever had food poisoning, you’ll understand why avoiding cross-contamination is so important in the kitchen. You don’t want harmful microorganisms to spread from raw to cooked food and make you sick. To avoid cross-contamination in the kitchen, follow these guidelines:
- Use different cutting boards for fish, meat, vegetables, dairy, and bread (different colored boards can help with this).
- Separate utensils for raw and cooked food.
- Never store edible food near raw meat.
Keep Your Fridge Clean
Keeping your fridge clean is one of the top ten kitchen hygiene rules. Spills and decaying food can spread toxins to everything else if left alone, so use kitchen paper to spot-clean on a daily basis in between thorough fridge-cleaning sessions.
While we’re on the subject of the fridge, it’s also the best place to defrost frozen food – not on the counter. This will help to prevent bacteria growth caused by a sudden temperature change.
Clean Your Sink Daily
Because your sink is used frequently throughout the day, it will quickly become filthy and infested with bacteria if it is not kept clean. Again, this is one of those kitchen hygiene rules that takes little time but is well worth following.
Once a day, give your sink a quick scrub with a scourer and a spritz of kitchen cleaner. Don’t forget about the faucets!
Wipe up any pooled water or spills around the sink with a kitchen towel between scrubs to keep it sanitary.
Give Your Sink a Daily Scrub
Frequently Asked Questions
Cleaning your kitchen on a daily and weekly basis will keep it looking presentable for family and guests. It is critical to deep clean the kitchen once a month, or at least four times a year, depending on how much dirt and grime accumulates.
Bacteria can contaminate hands, cutting boards, utensils, countertops, and food. Bacteria spread through cross-contamination. Begin with a clean scene by washing your hands with warm water and soap.
Bacteria on [dirty dishes] will breed overnight, but if they are washed thoroughly in the dishwasher the next day, there will be no problem.
Top Tips
Spot cleaning is the key to maintaining good kitchen hygiene. To quickly mop up spills, keep a roll of extra absorbent kitchen paper, on hand.
Food scraps left on a chopping board will quickly breed bacteria, so scrubbing it down immediately after use is critical to prevent them from spreading. Cleaning chopping boards is one of the most basic kitchen hygiene rules. It is quick, easy, and necessary.
Changing your bin on a regular basis is an important aspect of kitchen hygiene. Old food in a bin will decompose quickly, and bacteria will form… Check your trash on a daily basis to see if it needs to be taken out, and you’ll save yourself from having to hold your breath while tying the bag up.
Germs love to cling to cloths and sponges, so when wiping around germy areas, use a fresh sheet of strong kitchen paper and throw it away. You’ll avoid spreading germs to other surfaces this way.
You’ll also want to keep your oven clean, so make sure it’s cleaned on a regular basis. The same holds true for your stove, grill, microwave, and toaster – in short, anything you use to cook food.
Use a different colored cloth for different areas of the kitchen, such as pink for the sink and blue for the worktops, to help prevent bacteria from spreading.
Finally, if you find yourself waiting in the kitchen, make the most of your time. While you’re waiting for the kettle to boil, put the dishes away or unload the dishwasher, wipe down the stove, or clean the kitchen counters. These few minutes of cleaning will all help to keep the kitchen clean and tidy for a longer period of time.
Other Blogs You Must Read:
- How to Store Dry Herbs Properly
- How to Freeze Herbs in Olive Oil
- How to Store Strawberries
- How to Clean Stainless Steel Pots and Pans
- How To Debone Chicken Thighs
- How to Store Mint
- How to Dry Fruits in the Oven
- How to Pickle Onions
- How to Debone Chicken Breast Easily
- How to Pickle Cucumbers
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