How to keep your kitchen clean

MANILA, Philippines - The dirtiest place in the house is the kitchen. The dirtiest spot in the kitchen is the sink. And the dirtiest item in the sink is the sponge.

While it’s the bathroom that gets the bad rap when it comes to germs and viruses, the kitchen is actually the most bacteria-laden area in your home. Know why? Because most people are paranoid about their toilets and clean and sanitize them regularly. But they don’t get scared as much about their kitchen surfaces and sinks.

According to a US study, the kitchen harbors heavily contaminated levels of bacteria such as E.coli, salmonella and shigella that can cause diseases like urinary tract infection, hepatitis, pneumonia, listeriosis, fever and diarrhea.

Stanhome World, Europ e’s No. 1 home care brand, shares ways to help you disinfect your kitchen surfaces and keep your family in good health:

• Wash out the sponge. To clean the sponge, soak it for a minute in a solution of bleach and water or microwave it every evening for 30 seconds to kill the bacteria. An alternative to sponge is Stanhome World’s Magic Spiral.  Made with a special combination of nickel, chrome and copper, it cleans almost all kinds of kitchen items from your crystals to your pots and pans – hygienically and without scratching. 

• Mind your cutting boards. If possible, keep two cutting boards in the kitchen: one for raw meats and the other for fruits and vegetables. To sanitize the cutting board, scrub a solution of bleach and water into it. If bleach is too harsh, use vinegar and water. Air-dry or pat the cutting boards dry with clean paper towels.

• Maintain a clean refrigerator. It is important to regularly clean the insides and outsides of the refrigerator with hot soap and water or with the use of an antibacterial spray. Spoiled food, leftovers or molds form in the refrigerator and can spread disease. Pay close attention to the door handles and cupboards.

• Clean countertops and tools regularly. Germs can enter the kitchen before, during and after food preparation. Clean kitchen counters and utensils regularly with hot, soapy water before and after each use.

• Use clean dishrags. Reduce kitchen germs by sanitizing the soiled dishrag with bleach and powerful detergent. Let it dry fully.

• Disinfect trash cans. It is also essential to disinifect trash cans by spraying disinfecting cleaning agents on them. This helps prevent the spread of germs and keeps rats and pests away.

• Invest in products that can disinfect and clean surfaces well. European women swear by Stanhome World’s wide array of home care products that clean and disinfect the kitchen very effectively. Unmatched worldwide for their ability to clean are Germ-Trol, a concentrated disinfectant cleaner that effectively disinfects 99.999 percent of viruses, bacteria and fungi, even strong enough to fight the AH1N1 virus; Catcher Gel, a powerful remover of hardened grease on your kitchen walls and cooking surfaces; and Multisurface Express Protective Cleaner, which cleans all kitchen surfaces and leaves a protective layer that prevents the build up of dirt on kitchen surfaces.

For more information about effective kitchen cleaning and disinfecting, visit Stanhome World Philippines on Facebook or call (0917) 826-4663.