Kitchens are one of the busiest spaces in any home, yet can also be among the most dangerous spaces due to sharp knives, hot stoves and ovens, slippery floors, and other potential dangers.
There are some easy measures you can take to keep your kitchen safe.
Keep it clean
Maintaining a clean kitchen can help prevent the spread of harmful germs that cause illnesses in yourself and your family. Germs, also known as bacteria, may lurk on food, kitchen utensils, countertops and surfaces as well as on hands and in the air – including on any airborne sources.
Avoid spreading harmful bacteria by regularly and thoroughly washing your hands with hot, soapy water. Rinse and dry them well between handling raw and cooked foods; wash cutting boards, knives and other utensils after each use; avoid touching objects that have been touched by others (pets or children).
An unsanitary kitchen can create an unhealthy environment for family, friends and dinner guests as well as increasing the likelihood of pests and bacteria breeding. Furthermore, poor ventilation in a dirty kitchen may decrease indoor air quality significantly.
Sweeping and mopping the floor regularly is an effective way to prevent your kitchen from becoming disorganized. Regular sweeping and mopping will reduce the amount of dirt that accumulates, cutting back on cleaning time later on.
Sinks can be one of the dirtiest spots in any kitchen, so it is vitally important to wipe them down regularly after you prepare or consume food. A mixture of water and bleach or pre-mixed spray kitchen sanitizer will do a good job keeping them sanitary.
Make sure to regularly clean out and wipe down the handles, drawers, and door handles of your refrigerator in order to remove food debris that can attract and harbor pests. This helps ensure a pest-free experience!
Cooking odors can quickly spread into adjacent living spaces, such as dining and living rooms, making these spaces even more unpleasant. By keeping your kitchen tidy, odors may be reduced significantly so you can enjoy other parts of your home without being reminded of cooking smells.
Small children can present a threat in the kitchen by reaching into ovens, pulling on pot handles or taking items from countertops. Installing safety gates to kitchen entrances and childproof latches on cabinets are essential measures that can keep everyone in your family safe from potential accidents in this space.
Keep it organized
As soon as your kitchen runs more efficiently when you can easily locate what you’re searching for, things flow more easily. Before your next meal prep session begins, set aside an hour or so to sort through your cabinets and drawers – placing items used regularly at the forefront while those less frequently can be stashed in back of cabinets or drawers.
“One of the keys to keeping your kitchen organized is knowing where everything should go,” notes Carly Waters, an interior designer and expert organizer. She advises creating zones in your space like cooking zones, baking zones and storage zones in order to easily keep all your favorite tools at hand.
She suggests, for example, keeping your dishes within reach by placing pots, pans and dishes in cabinets where they’re easily accessible rather than hidden away at the back. Or you could use a rolling shelf organizer to store extra large bowls and platters. Waters suggests attaching hooks on the inside of cabinet doors as another effective way of keeping cookware within easy reach.
Your cabinets can also be organized by grouping items together in plastic or metal file sorters, like cereal, pasta noodles and baking ingredients. A lazy susan works great for cans and spices storage while drawer dividers provide an efficient way of keeping silverware and cooking utensils untangled.
Don’t overlook the under-your-sink area when planning storage solutions! Hanging a pegboard backsplash can easily provide extra storage, while hooks on your pantry door provide handy places for keeping cleaning supplies and kitchen gadgets organized.
An organized kitchen can make life simpler, and anyone can do it! Take it step-by-step – for instance, cabinet one day, drawer the next, fridge/freezer next week etc – until your task is complete, then enjoy your newly organized space! Any items not in use might also be worth giving to friends or donating as it can free up more storage space in your own kitchen!
Keep it safe
Kitchens are one of the most dangerous areas in any establishment. Between open flames, hot surfaces and sharp food prep tools in close proximity, thousands of people are injured every year while working in their kitchens. To keep your establishment running smoothly and protect both staff and customers alike from injury in this space, follow these basic kitchen safety tips.
To ensure proper kitchen safety, one of the first and most essential steps is turning off your stove and keeping an eye on cooking items at all times. While cooking a meal can become distracting at times and cause errors to slip by unnoticed: forgetting to turn off an oven, leaving pans on burners even for just an instant – these seemingly minor errors could easily result in fire or burn injuries.
Cleaning your hands often is another essential kitchen safety measure, especially when in a rush or feeling under the weather. Yet skipping this simple step may lead to germs spreading through food. Washing hands after handling raw meat, chopping onions or opening spices reduces your risk of illness from what you consume.
Always have a first aid kit on hand in the kitchen; this can prove essential if anyone gets injured while working or slips and falls on a wet floor. A first aid kit should contain bandages, burn salve, an ice pack for swelling control purposes and an emergency contact list.
Teaching kids kitchen safety is also important. Cooking together with your children can be a great way to develop independence, build culinary appreciation and promote overall development; but be sure to teach them how to use knives safely as well as never leaving pots or pans unattended!
Make sure to childproof the kitchen by removing electrical plugs, installing stove knob covers and storing flammable materials out of reach. Furthermore, safety latches must be installed on cabinets and drawers and colored fridge magnets removed as these can pose choking hazards for small children.
Keep it stocked
Kitchens are often dangerous spaces, containing forks and knives, hot stoves/ovens/water, as well as other potential sources of injury. By stocking your kitchen with necessary supplies and adhering to some basic safety guidelines, you can help avoid injuries in this hectic room of the home.
Primarily, it’s vitally important to have a first aid kit in the kitchen. This should include bandages, burn salve, gauze, scissors and a list of hospitals and physicians nearby.
Fire extinguishers should also be included in your kitchen arsenal, particularly if there are children or animals around that might obstruct cooking activities. Furthermore, always have baking soda readily available for grease or oil fires that might occur.
As with any kitchen, having non-toxic cleaning supplies and towels on hand is also beneficial, helping prevent slips and falls that could potentially result in serious injuries. These supplies should also help quickly wipe up spills or splatters before cleaning floors and counters – something a typical mop cannot do effectively!
Finally, make sure that knives are stored away from children and pets. Although this should go without saying, many people fail to follow this simple rule. Children and animals can easily grab a sharp tool such as a knife and use it to cut themselves or others or start fires by pulling something heavy over on them – as well as getting into food that could contain germs that make them sick or even kill.
An essential tip for kitchen safety is having plastic tongs on hand in the kitchen. These can help when retrieving items from oven or stove and moving hot dishes around safely without burning yourself. Also use a microwave oven thermometer and keep refrigerator and freezer fully stocked to reduce food spoilage or the growth of bacteria, thus decreasing risk of food poisoning which sends over 128,000 Americans each year to hospital emergency departments and can have lasting health ramifications for those affected by it.