Cleanliness Is Key In The Kitchen

Apart from being able to serve delicious food to people, a chef’s main duty is to make sure that the environment that he is cooking in is safe for all, not just himself. There are of course many safety measures that can be taken by the chefs to ensure that all goes well in the kitchen with no accidents occurring, however, one extremely important safety measure that many tend to forget is the cleanliness of the kitchen. 

Prioritising the cleanliness of the kitchen is something that all chefs must keep in mind. It’s not just the food you cook that has to be sanitary, but also the area in which you work. In case you’re having trouble figuring it out, here are some places that you should always keep clean to ensure that your food is sanitary and safe to consume. 

Stovetop

Your stovetop is probably one of the easiest to get dirty. What with food spilling over the pans and the oil splashing all over, it comes as no surprise that your stovetop requires a thorough wipe-down every so often. Cleaning oil spills and stains may be difficult, hence, one way you can reduce your workload is by using non-drip oil bottles to store your cooking oil. This way, you can reduce the chances of your oil leaking out and dirtying your stovetop. 

Kitchen Sink

The kitchen sink is usually the place we often neglect. We usually just dump all our cooking tools and dishes into the sink and leave them be for quite a while. And although I understand this as I too hate having to do the dishes. This is something we should absolutely avoid. Leaving dirty dishes about will only make cleaning it more difficult once the food stains dry up. Sometimes, you may not even clean it well which can cause your dishes to be contaminated and unsanitary.

Trash Can

Having a trash can in your kitchen is a common norm. Bits and pieces of food waste as well leftover food is almost always thrown in the trash can. Hence, if you neglect to throw out the rubbish on a daily basis, it will not only cause the place to stink but also encourage the growth of bacteria. An added reminder, along with emptying the trash can every, one must also keep the trash can itself clean. Washing the trash can once a month could help keep it sanitary and reduce bacterial growth.

Dish Rack

The dish rack is also another place that should be kept clean. Not only is it a place to try your clean dishes, but any dirt on the dish rack could also stain the plates dirty. Another thing you must remember to do is to empty the water from the bottom tray. This is to prevent pests like mosquitoes from breeding.

Counters

Finally, once all meal prep and cooking is done, you should always wipe down your kitchen counters to clear out food stains and leftover scraps. This is to prevent uninvited guests such as cockroaches and rats from making your kitchen their home.