The kitchen is in essence, a room where germs and bacteria of all kinds mingle (the germ lounge), some can be the cause of illness and damage (listeria, salmonella and so on …) Basically you run this risk any time you introduce something new into the kitchen, most of the time it is carrying microorganisms. Thankfully though we have means to keep it clean as long as we follow the rules of an impeccable kitchen!
The key to success: The golden rule! We can never repeat it enough but it is so important to establishing a set of rules that will be useful to overcome the enemy, bacteria!
They are grouped by frequency:
Every day:
The sink: Clean it scrupulously, and do not forget the faucet! Wipe it down well to avoid water marks when you are done.
The counter top: Really, it is filled with bacteria, it collects there from the peels of vegetables and other waste that land on it. Clean with soapy water and a little bleach (if your counter top can handle it) if you have used it heavily that day. Meat. Clean it immediately when you are done.
Every week:
The tile: The kitchen is usually the one room where the whole family maintains some sort of presences throughout the day and therefore where the floor gets dirty the fastest. Arm yourself with a mop and wipe the floor down, either with a floor cleaner or concentrated detergent for harder stains.
The oven: Unless your oven is self-cleaning, weekly maintenance is required, use a intensive cleanser suitable for your appliance. In addition to being immaculate, your oven will have a much longer life!
Stove top: between the splashes of sauce and the various foods that have burned there, this place is an ideal space for bacteria to live. To maintain the stove, there is the daily sponge cleaning every day of course, but it is no secret, to maintain long-term maintenance: give it a thorough cleaning.
The fridge also needs to be cleaned every week to prevent bacteria from settling on the surfaces! Take the opportunity to sort out the soon-to-be-outdated food and in the event that it is still good and you plan to use it soon, freeze them.
The trash can: Yuck! That smell. Wait. While we think about it less often, this is where the most bacteria hides! Clean it with water and disinfect with some bleach.
Every three weeks:
The windows: what's the point of having an immaculate kitchen if the windows are full of smears and smudges? Here is a little trick: newsprint. Seriously this is an amazing way to clean windows!!! Take a large sheet folded in four and sprinkle it with glass cleaner. Even the cheapest cleaners work amazingly when they are combined with newspaper. It is also very durable and it doesn't leave streaks on the windows!
The cabinets/pantry: Personally, I clean the inside and outside at them at same time, when the motivation is there! I remove everything from the cupboards, vacuum or pick up any dust and dirt, then give them a wipe down with a sponge with a little bleach on the inside. While it is drying, I tackle the outside with the help of a good grease cutting cleaner.
Finally, we don't forget the range hood, a simple dish detergent will do here then I just wipe it down.
Now you have all the cards in your hands, it is easy to win this battle, one that leaves you with a spot free kitchen.
Feel free to share your little tricks!