All of us get into the kitchen cleaning mode. Particularly after knowing that unhygienic habits, unclean crockery and, utensils can make us prey to food poisoning. Did you know that a whopping 21 per cent of food-borne illness are due to home cooked food? Kitchens are said to be the worst germ breeding places and here are a few things we never think about cleaning:
Knives and the knife block: Ever thought about it? Well knives are still washed but the case that holds them might be clogged with dirt and harmful bacteria.
Clean it by: Remove all the knives and shake out crumbs and dirt. Now dip this block in hot soapy water mixed with some anti-bacterial liquid. Clean thoroughly, use a small brush to take out the dirt. Rinse thoroughly with clean water and let it dry for a few hours before placing your knives back.
Blender gasket: All of us use a hand blender, mixer, or food processor but rarely do we read the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions which are in the book provided with the appliance. The leftover debris sticks to the blades or underneath them making it a bacterial heaven.
Clean it by: Read the instruction manual and clean by disassembling completely, this includes removing the blade and gasket. Wash in lukewarm soapy water. Let all pieces dry before putting the blender together.
Can opener: We all use this to open bottles, cans etc. Though now days the use has become limited with cans and pet bottles becoming common. But prior to use we hang it back or keep it in the drawer. Do you know bacteria could be thriving on your bottle opener?
Clean it by: Dunk in a glass of soapy hot water and wash it after a few minutes to clean out the germs. Regular washes work fine but do change your can opener once a year or more if use it regularly.
Food containers: Those plastic (or glass containers) with a rubber seal are ideal to waterproof your food but do you realise those rubber seals also harbour bacteria and allow infections to thrive?
Clean it by: Remove the rubber seal and wash with by hand cleaning the grooves properly.
