Disinfecting every object has become a primal necessity these days, especially after the global outbreak or COVID 19 pandemic. As there is no available cure for this disease, prevention is the savior here. And disinfecting everything is the biggest and most effective preventive measure in this case. You can simply use approved sanitizers or 70% alcoholic solution on any surface or objects to sanitize them.
But what about the kitchen and foods? The kitchen is a sensitive place. So can we use strong alcoholic solutions out there? If such questions are worrying you and you are looking for appropriate solutions, then you are in the right place.
Because, today we are going to discuss how to disinfect kitchen and its accessories.
Why Is Disinfecting Kitchen Important?
The kitchen is like the central hub of a house or for a family. Family members gather around the kitchen to have their meals together. Also, the dishes, cooking pots and materials all are washed and kept in the kitchen, also the food storage is mostly kept in or near the kitchen. So, if any of these things is virally contaminated once, then it has the most possibility to spread among the family members in an easy shot.
That is why for protecting your family, disinfecting your kitchen must be one of the major concerns of your daily routine. And to help you with that, we are going to discuss step by step procedures of disinfecting your kitchen, its accessories and surroundings.
How To Disinfect Kitchen Sink, Sponge, Cabinets & Countertops?
1. Ensure Regular Cleaning
There is no denying this fact that regular cleaning is the best way of ensuring proper sanitizing. So, anyhow, you have to make sure that your kitchen is cleaned properly, at least twice a day. This includes cleaning your stoves after cooking, kitchen sink when done with all the washing, brushing the cupboards, countertops and every kitchen accessories like cutters, chopping boards etc.
Remember, cleaning and disinfecting are not the same thing all the way. Though on several occasions both require the same process, they are not the same all the way. Now, if you keep the surfaces and objects clean regularly, then, a major portion of viruses get eliminated automatically. For the few remaining ones, you have to follow the disinfection process. But that will take less hardship if you follow regular cleaning properly.
2. How To Disinfect Kitchen Sink?
Among all other sections of the kitchen, the kitchen sink is the one who faces most of the dirty materials, after dustbin. We do the dishes, wash the vegetables, throw some of the cooking waste and so on. Even, it often deals with the leftovers of your kids’ craft projects as well. So yeah, when you are talking about disinfecting, then your sink should get primal priority.
Now the question is how do you disinfect kitchen sink?
Disinfecting Kitchen Sink With Bleach
Well, first of all, you have to remove the solid gunk and strains of the sink. You can use any type of detergent cleaner or any other approved cleaner to remove the gunk and strains. Once you are done with this removal or cleaning, you can start the sanitization process.
And to do that, first of all, plug the drain of the sink, and fill the sink completely with warm water. Then drop a tablespoon of liquid or powdered bleach in that water. Take a sponge, dip it in the water and wipe down the walls, faucets, taps and other parts of the sink properly. Then release the drain, let the water flow away. Then rinse the sink with clean water and let it air dry completely. Thus, you have a perfectly sanitized kitchen sink.
How To Disinfect Kitchen Sink Without Bleach?
Now using bleach can be an issue for some individuals. So is it possible to sanitize a sink without using it? Yes, that is also very much possible and here is how it should be done.
You will need two additional spray bottles, white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide solution. So first things first, wash the sink with soap and water, using a sponge or sponge scrubber. Then spray white vinegar thoroughly all over the sink. Then let it completely air dry or simply wipe it off. Then spray hydrogen peroxide all over the sink again.
The vinegar fights with all the nasty particles like germs to molds. Even it cuts grease too. And the hydrogen peroxide eliminates bacteria and germs just like bleach does just without the harmful fume. So with or without using bleach, you can disinfect your sink quite easily.
3. Disinfecting kitchen sponge
No one likes to use a greasy sponge for cleaning right? Also, if your cleaning material itself is contaminated then it must affect the other utensils aw well. So we have to keep the sponge clean and germ free all the way. But, how to disinfect kitchen sponge? Well, we have four different effective methods for you.
With Bleach
Take a gallon dull of water and mix 3/4th cup of bleach in it. Now take your kitchen sponge or sponges and soak the sponge for 5 minutes in the water. Then bring it out and rinse. Yes, simple as that and it can kill 99.99% of prevailing bacteria in a sponge. It’s also considered as the most effective method of disinfecting kitchen sponge.
With The Microwave Oven
The second most effective method is with the microwave oven. Put your sponge in the microwave saturated in water. Quarter cup water saturation for scrub sponges and half cup water saturation for cellulose sponges. Then heat it in the oven for a minute in high temperature. Your sponge will be disinfected after that.
Using Dishwasher
You can also take help of your dishwasher. Toss your sponge un the washer with regular loads. Then apply the “heated dry” setting. Take it out, after the washing.
Using Vinegar
This method is pretty simple, soak your sponge in full-strength vinegar for five minutes. Then pull it out and rinse with clean water and you are good to go.
4. How To Disinfect Kitchen Cabinets?
Because of having corners and edges, kitchen cabinets easily get dirty with grease and dust. And when there is grease, there are germs surely. So, how to disinfect kitchen cabinets?
Pretty simple, first clean away the dry dust using a cloth or dry towel. Then take a spray bottle, take similar portions of warm water and vinegar in it. Then spray it thoroughly all around the cabinet. Let it sit for two a couple of minutes. Then wipe it off using a dry cloth or towel. Put a bit more effort into the heavy greases. Thus, you will have a disinfected kitchen cabinet.
5. Disinfecting Countertops
When there is food there will be bacteria. So the countertop of your kitchen, where you prepare and serve the food is not free from viral contamination in anyways. So, how to disinfect kitchen countertops?
The key here is to clean any spilling immediately. Immediate cleaning will not allow germs to sit and grow. So whenever any spilling occurs, wipe it off with a clean cloth. At the end of the day take a water-vinegar solution in a spray bottle or a solution of 1 teaspoon bleach diluted into water and spray it on the surface. Let it sit for a while and after that wipe it off with a clean cloth to sanitize the surface.
Disinfecting Food Items
So far in this article, we have learned about how to sanitize kitchen. But what about the food items?
Don’t they need to be disinfected as well?
Yes, they do.
And most of such items are bought from outside, they must go through the sanitizing process as well.
Now there are two categories, first is dry food items like, rice, biscuits, chips and other packaged foods. The easiest way to do the sanitizing for such items is to keep them in an airtight box or container for a couple of days, completely untouched. The living particles will die out there in suffocation.
Now for the second category, the raw items like fruits and vegetables, raw meats and fish etc. You have to wash them very well several times.
For fruits and vegetables, you can take a jar with water and salt solution and leave them out there for 20 minutes and then wash them with fresh water.
For meats and fish, wash them with water several times. And cook them very well in high heat. Bacteria do not survive in high heat. So if you cook it well, there is no chance of any germ or bacteria to be there.
The Bottom Line…
The kitchen is the powerhouse for both the family members of a house and also for the germs. Biologically, the kitchen is the busiest part of the house for germs and bacteria to spread. So, it should be kept properly cleaned and sanitized.
In this article, we walked through several methods of disinfecting the kitchen and foods. Also, we tried to figure out answers for how to disinfect kitchen properly. Hopefully, the above-mentioned steps will help you out and ensure a safer, healthier and happier life for your family.
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