There are plenty of reasons – all of which I will get to in a bit – why it is important to keep your kitchen clean at all times. If the part about germs and all that biology jazz does not bother you, then at least the economic role of things should. A clean kitchen will save you money, not to mention, it is the socially correct thing to do.
No, I am not advocating an obsessive clean up routine; a few crumbs are usual, but overflowing garbage and a pest infected kitchen can result in adverse effects to your health and wellness. Let us take a more in-depth look at the top reasons why you should ensure your kitchen is clean.
A clean kitchen prevents foodborne illnesses
This is easily the most significant hazard with having an unclean kitchen. Spoilt food and cross-contamination can transfer bacteria and germs into your diet. Some of the necessary precautions you should include using separate knives for meat and vegetables, washing your hands well with antibacterial soap if you get into contact with meat and keeping your countertop and sink clean.
But like I mentioned above, these are just the basics.
To put this issue in perspective, date out of the America Centres for Disease Control says that the US handles seventy-six million foodborne illness hospital visits. This is a frightening stat from any angle.
Some of the most common culprits are Salmonella, E Coli, and Listeria, but there are plenty of others that carried through to the household by unsuspecting humans. These include hepatitis A virus, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, Shigella sonnei and rotavirus.
Children are more susceptible to the diseases carried by these germs and pathogens, but adults can experience severe risks too. If you have kids in your household, this is more of a reason to have a clean kitchen.
Entertain guests without any embarrassment
Whether you intend to bring guests to your kitchen or not, it is quite natural for guests to gravitate towards your kitchen, either to see what is going on or make conversation while you are cooking or check if they could lend a hand and help you with the preparations.
Do you want them to leave with stories about how they opened the fridge to find mould covered cheese and cockroaches scuttling in the corners?
Be prepared for the unexpected by keeping a spotless kitchen that is presentable to anyone who visits.
Your appliances will last longer
The kitchen of any house will surely have more appliances than any other parts of the house. These include the food processing machine, toaster, and range hood; all of which perform more efficiently when they are maintained. Regular maintenance will lengthen the lifespan in addition to the efficiency. For example, an uncleaned vent will gather dust over time, blocking the exits and forcing the appliance to run harder – using more power – to do the same task it used to do. Furthermore, this leads to higher temperatures which in turn shorten the lifespan of the appliance, heat the battery and cause fires. Simply wiping your devices every week can go a long way in extending their lifespan. Moreover, a clean kitchen will sooner or later lead to a tidy one, reducing the possibilities of tripping over wires, short circuits and other electrical faults.
You can handle food in a more efficient manner
An uncluttered kitchen makes it easier to have a valid food maintenance plan in place. As you already know, certain types of food can go wrong pretty quick, and by keeping an eye on things (an uncluttered area makes it easy to do this), you reduce diseases, odours, and prevent cross-contamination from food that has gone bad.
Your refrigerator and cupboards are the top two places to monitor. Cleaning the surfaces of spilt, rotting food can stop the growth of bacteria and avoid drawing in pests like cockroaches. Instead of waiting till the next holiday to start cleaning – by which the pests would have already descended on to your kitchen! – cleaning every week can keep things tidy.
A clutter-free kitchen increases your safety
A clean kitchen is more than just a matter of aesthetics; it is about staying safe too. For instance, drips of butter on the floor can cause someone to slip while those oil slicks on the burner could be the reason for the neighbourhood’s next house fire.
To put things in perspective, a kitchen is the only spot in the house where water, heat, fire, electricity, and knives come into contact with each other, and by ensuring things are tidy and organized, you can keep order and ensure everything is safe.
Nobody plans on starting a kitchen fire, dropping water on an electric output or a knife on somebody’s foot. A tidy kitchen can help prevent any unforeseen calamity.
It is more accessible to attend to your cooking chores
Cooking gets much more comfortable when all your things are out of your way. Just imagine coming to fix a quick dinner and finding the day’s dishes on the countertop and the salad debris from the morning in the sink! You will have to spend an hour cleaning and keeping away things before you can clear up space to get to your main task.
Now imagine your kitchen is neat. You walk in for dinner, put together a quick sandwich, and you are done in under thirty minutes! By getting into the habit of cleaning regularly, you can keep your frustration down and reduce the time you spend in the kitchen. If your place is in complete disarray, a better course of action might be to seek a reputed professional cleaning company who can give your kitchen and all its items an entire spring clean. Starting from zero gives you a significant benefit; it is easier to maintain a kitchen that is completely clean rather than trying to keep a messy kitchen that is long due to a deep clean.
Hi There,
Nice Post! with such informative content.