The kitchen is the place where masterpieces and messes are created.
That means your next meal is sure to be accompanied by spills, stains, crumbs and dirt, which in turn promote the growth of bacteria and other pathogens.
Vileda cleaning products are your number one ally to keep your kitchen messes under control. The only question left is knowing exactly where to look, and often to clean, to keep your kitchen a safe and healthy place in your home.
Those sponges could be soaking up more than just water and soap.
An American study in 2017 found that a used kitchen sponge can conceal over 300 species of bacteria, including several that cause disease. Now that’s something to dim the sparkle from your dishes.
We recommend adding a post-washup routine that involves sanitising your sponge by putting it in the dishwasher with the rest of your load. Another method is to let the sponge soak for some time in white vinegar.
Remember to switch to a new Vileda Colours sponge every week or two to reduce bacterial build-up.
Hand and dish towels are indispensable in the kitchen to clean up spills, stains and spots.
Unsurprisingly, kitchen towels also top the list of items that you should be cleaning more regularly, especially if several people are handling them every day.
Keep your towels in good condition from the moment you buy them from the shop: always wash new purchases with detergent to get out any germs and chemicals from the fibres.
Kitchen towels should be changed every couple of days and dirty towels washed in hot water with bleach (or baking soda) to remove blemishes. Add stain remover and rinse thoroughly before washing to extract dirt more easily.
Now that your kitchen sponges and cloths are clean, let’s use them to prevent your cleaning efforts from spiralling down the drain.
The kitchen sink is another top contender for dirtiest spots in the home and all it takes is a quick wipe with a sponge or microfiber cloth to keep it under control. Use spare hot water from your tea kettle to disinfect the sink basin and scrub well to remove bacteria and grime.
They provide ample space for you to cook, and for crumbs to accumulate, so cleaning counters and stove tops should be an obvious task on everyone’s to-do list.
Keep your kitchen cloths handy and wipe spills and spots right away, before they stick. You should wipe down surfaces every day, but make sure to use different cloths – one for each area – to avoid cross-contamination.
Reserve a thorough cleaning of countertops once every week.
Our last cleaning category is a catch-all that sings nicely to the tune of a popular children’s song (–seals and holes!). People using the kitchen touch each of those items every day and therefore they should be cleaned regularly.
Knobs and handles harbour bacteria and other pathogens. These can be eliminated with a quick wipe down using vinegar, bleach or a similar disinfectant.
Seals like those found around jar openings and refrigerator doors are probably the last place you’d think of cleaning. Yet they are the perfect site where bacteria, spores and mould can gather. You know the drill by now: dip a cloth in sanitising solution and wipe away those critters.
Containers and other receptacles should be rinsed to prevent bacterial growth and anything that is dishwasher-safe can be thrown in with your next cycle. Otherwise, hand wash with hot, soapy water and paying close attention to grooves and those other tricky areas.
Which other overlooked items or places in the kitchen should be on everyone’s cleaning list? Tell us in the comments below and mention your favourite Vileda cleaning products for a shout-out on our Facebook page.
