7 Kitchen Surfaces that Harbour Potentially Dangerous Bacteria

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Places Germs Are Lurking in Your Kitchen

7 Kitchen Surfaces that Harbour Potentially Dangerous Bacteria

By : Amelia Taylor
The kitchen is often ranked the dirtiest place in a house as its environment is conducive to the growth of strains of bacteria. It is a high contact area with numerous sources of contamination like raw meats, poultry cheese, dirty vegetables/fruits, and leftover food. Hence, it needs to be cleaned thoroughly every day as an unclean kitchen can be the reason for foodborne illness. One way to keep your kitchen free of disease-causing bacteria is to hire professional cleaners in Townsville regularly to spring clean your kitchen. The other way is to know which surfaces to keep clean daily to inhibit the growth of microbes. Here is a list of seven kitchen surfaces that harbour potentially dangerous bacteria and your guide on how to keep them clean.

1. Points of Contact like Faucets, Handles, Knobs etc.

Since every member of the house accesses the kitchen, it naturally has more points of contact that make the transfer of germs easy. Therefore, while cleaning your kitchen, it becomes essential to clean regularly touched things like-
  • Sink faucets
  • Handles of the oven, microwave, refrigerator, coffee maker and other kitchen appliances
  • Knobs of cabinets, doors, windows

2. Countertops

It shouldn’t be a surprise that countertops harbour potentially dangerous bacteria as they come in contact with hands, containers, raw meats, dirty vegetable/fruits, various other things. Contrary to the usual practice of wiping with a cloth towel or kitchen rag, you should use a potent disinfectant and dry with paper towels. As per expert end of lease cleaners in Townsville, a lot of foodborne illnesses can be avoided by keeping the countertops clean.

3. The Sink

Naturally, the sink is home to strains of illness-causing germs as it is where all the raw meats, vegetable, fruits, and other food items are washed. In addition, dirty utensils are kept in the sink with food residues, and the area remains damp frequently making it the ideal space for bacteria to grow and breed. Hence, it is vital to clean and disinfect the sink each night.

4. Vegetable, fruits, and meat compartments

These areas are the dirties compartments of the refrigerator because they are breeding grounds for microbes like salmonella, E. coli, mould, yeast, among others. Even though the temperature of the fridge inhibits growth, it doesn’t stop it completely, which is why it is essential to clean these areas frequently and deep clean the refrigerator every 3-4 weeks.

5. Cooking tools

According to expert bond cleaners in Townsville, cooking tools can host a wide variety of bacteria. These tools include rubber/wooden/silicone spatulas, serving spoons, meat forks, tongs, cutters, can-openers, knives, racks, peelers etc. Cleaning cooking tools is important to stop the spread of bacteria from meats, poultry, cheeses, vegetables, and fruits to your cooked meals.

6. Dishwashing rags or sponges

Dishwashing rags and sponges are the biggest culprits that spread bacteria if they are not sanitised regularly. Ideally, the sponges and cloths used for washing dirty dishes should be replaced every month, and they should be disinfected in between uses. If possible, it is better to use dishwashing brushes as they are easier to clean and dry.

7. Storage containers

If you have reusable storage containers with rubber seals, water bottles, and lunch boxes they can be breeding grounds for mould, yeast, salmonella and other bacteria. Hence, it is imperative to keep them clean and dry at all time to inhibit the spread of microorganisms.

How to Keep Dirty Kitchen Surfaces Clean?

Here are expert tips by professional end of lease cleaners in Townsville on how to keep kitchen surfaces germ free.
Ensure Cleaning Supplies are on Hand
It is a commonly repeated tip because it is necessary to keep your cleaning supplies on hand for speedy disinfestations of different surfaces in your kitchen. Consider keeping them in a cabinet in the kitchen for easy and prompt access. Some of the most common cleaning supplies are-
  • Microfiber cloths
  • Brushes
  • Multipurpose cleaners
  • Liquid Castle Soap or preferred washing solution
  • Paper towels
  • Baking soda, vinegar, lemons, rock salt, and hydrogen peroxide
Make a Natural DIY Disinfectant
In a spray bottle, make a versatile and simple disinfecting solution containing vinegar and water in equal parts. Use this solution to sanitise and kill germs on points of high contact, sinks, refrigerator, tiles, floors, cabinets, stovetops etc. This solution can be used for cleaning countertops that are not made of natural or humanmade stones like marble, granite, sandstone, quartz etc. Many expert end of lease cleaners in Townsville use this disinfect to render green cleaning services.
Clean Countertops According to the Material Used
To keep countertops sanitary and prolong their shelf life, make sure to use the right cleaner for the type of material used to manufacture the slabs. Professional cleaners in Townsville say most of them can be cleaned with a simple solution of water and castile soap, but it would be wise to read the manufacturer’s manual to know how to clean your countertop. If the manual suggests using a specific cleaner, then it is wise to use it. Also, get the slabs sealed to avoid staining from spillage and damage from hot pans/pots.
Disinfect Dishwashing Tools Frequently
Dirty sponges and rags can spread germs rather than clean them, which is why it is essential to disinfect them. After each use wash them with hot water and mild detergent. Also, once in a week microwave the sponges for two minutes to kill any bacteria. During the process, make sure the sponge is wet and give it time to cool & dry after microwaving it.
Use the Heated Dry Setting to Clean Cooking Tools and Storage Containers
While running your dishwasher to clean cooking tools and storage containers, use the heated dry setting to remove bacteria from them effectively. Also, expert cleaners advise manually clean crevices and rubber seals to keep food residue from depositing in them.

Wrapping Up

It is essential to keep your entire house clean to lead a healthy life. To do so, ensure to take the assistance of experts from an affordable end of lease cleaning company in Townsville regularly. Also, clean surfaces mentioned above by following the expert tips will help keep away foodborne illnesses.