How To Banish Bugs from the Kitchen

Right! I am really fed up of the constant rounds of coughs, colds, sneezes, and general sickness that seem to be plaguing us at the moment.

I bet you are the same?

If you have got kids, then it’s inevitable they will bring home every bug going around from school or playgroup.

Babies and young children are particularly prone to stomach bugs, and other viruses that can be easily spread around, but we can lessen the change of them picking up bugs by keeping the kitchen as clean as possible.

Your dishcloth is one of the most bug-ridden items in your home. A recent study showed that 134,000 bacteria could be lurking on every square inch of it.

How often do you replace your dishcloth?

I bet it’s not as often as you think, so why not set up a new routine where you throw away your disposable dish cloth every Monday morning. If you are more green-minded, like me, why not clean your reusable dishcloth by running it through the washing machine when you do a hot wash, then sterilizing it by steaming it in the microwave.

Remember to wash your hands regularly throughout the day. Having clean hands will prevent the spread of germs around all the surfaces you touch during the day. And when you think about it, that’s a lot of surfaces! From window and door handles, to banisters, toilet seats, taps and handles, to your kitchen work surfaces.

Always wash your hands with hot, soapy water before preparing food and especially after handling raw meat, going to the toilet, touching the pedal bin and stroking your pets. Your kids learn by example, so encourage your child to wash their hands with you.

In the kitchen, try using different cloths for different jobs, like washing up and wiping surfaces, cleaning floors etc.
Have a bottle of spray disinfectant or anti-bacterial cleaner for quickly cleaning cupboard door handles and work surfaces when you are in a hurry, and always keep your pets off the kitchen worktops.

Keep separate chopping boards for meat and vegetable preparation, and always clean them well after each use.

We have all been there – you fall ill, but the other members of your family are fine! But you still have to carry on regardless, and the family needs feeding. If you can, avoid cooking food for the family while you are ill, especially if you have a stomach bug.

If this is not an option for you, try wearing disposable gloves to avoid passing on your bugs.

Storing your fresh and frozen food correctly will help to prevent the build-up of bacteria, so your fridge temperature should be between 0–5 deg C and your freezer lower than -18 deg C. Ensure the doors are always properly closed with no food packaging overlapping the door seals. Never put hot food directly into the freezer as this will raise the internal temperature of the freezer, and may spoil the other food stored in the freezer.

Always keep raw or defrosting meat at the bottom of the fridge, and make sure it is well covered to prevent raw juices from dripping onto other food. Keep cooked food well covered too, and don’t leave out on the side any longer than 2 hours to cool before putting in the fridge.

Here is to a healthy and happy, germ-free spell for everyone!