Is your kitchen dirtier than your toilet seat?
Is your kitchen dirtier than your toilet seat?
Here at Oliver’s Kitchen, we believe that the kitchen is the heart of the home, but are your kitchen habits keeping it beating whilst keeping you and your family as safe as can be?
As a kitchenware brand, we're obsessed about the quality of our top selling products, such as our electric salt and pepper grinders.
We surveyed 1,613 members of the public to find out about their kitchen habits, and had some rather surprising results!
From mucky microwaves, cats on the counter and dirty dishcloths, it appears from our research that there could be a lot of potentially poorly Brits around the country, if their kitchen hygiene is anything to go by. Most shocking of all, we found your kitchen sponge could actually carry more bacteria than your toilet seat!
We consulted a food hygiene inspector for some insider advice on the kitchen habits you should be keeping and why you should be keeping them.
Not cleaning the microwave thoroughly - 82% Brits admitted to this
Believe it not, you should be cleaning your microwave once a week or when it becomes visibly dirty. Closing the door and keeping an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ approach can wind up making you and your family unwell.
Try taking a lemon, roll it until soft and cut it in half. Squeeze the juice into a small bowl of water and microwave it for five to the minutes on high. Let it stand for five minutes and wipe down the inside of the microwave and the turntable.
PS. Don’t forget to disinfect the keypad/controls!
Not having separate cutting boards - 73% Brits admitted to this
Separate cutting boards are not only for the deli kitchens of the world! A sole cutting board can be a hive of bacteria, spreading to food and utensils even after washing. To avoid cross-contamination, using separate boards for meat, fish and fresh produce is recommended.
Not only should you be thinking about the number of chopping boards in your kitchen, but also about how and when you’re washing them. After each use, wash your cutting board in hot, soapy water and replace any cracked or damaged cutting boards to avoid bacteria getting lodged in them and any food-related illnesses!
Not cleaning their oven regularly - 69% Brits admitted to this
Cleaning the oven is a job no one wants to dedicate their time or effort to, but avoiding the task for too long might result in even more of a headache than you bargained for. Not only is a grimy oven a bad place to be preparing your dinner (yes, despite the heat!), a buildup of dirt may actually be detrimental to its performance.
There are numerous oven cleaners on the market to make the job as easy as possible but it is advisable to organise a valet at least once a year, to make sure your oven stays clean and functioning for as long as possible.
Don’t forget to follow the necessary health and safety guidelines if you’re cleaning the oven yourself!
Not cooling food quickly enough before storing it - 68% Brits admitted to this
Deciding how long to leave your leftovers to cool before refrigerating them is a controversial topic, with some people opting for a matter of minutes and others choosing to wait hours. Well, whatever side of the fence your fridge is in, you may want to do your research before you risk giving yourself or your loved ones any kind of food-borne illness.
Ideally, food should be left for no more than two hours before popping it in the fridge for later, to ensure that the risk of bacteria growth and cross-contamination is at a minimum. Dividing your leftovers into smaller portions will help speed up the cooling process if time is of the essence and provide useful when packing your lunch for the next day!
Not washing/changing their kitchen dish cloth/sponge regularly - 64% Brits admitted to this
Studies show that your dish cloth is one of the dirtiest places in your kitchen, home to a wide variety of harmful bacteria that you consciously choose to spread around your house when mopping up spills and drying your newly cleaned dishes.
Getting into the habit of using a new dish cloth more frequently will make the spread of harmful bacteria far less likely and therefore make the kitchen a much safer space for you and your family.
After the post-dinner cleanup, just soak your dish cloth in a mix of hot water and vinegar/baking soda, then after a few days of use throw it into the washing machine/basket ready for the next hot wash, or swap it out for a new one if you use disposable sponges. Make sure not to wash them with your clothes to avoid the possible spread of pesky bacteria! As soon as your rags get old (one too many holes is usually a good indicator of this!), simply give them another wash and save them to use as floor rags.
Not disinfecting the kitchen bin - 57% Brits admitted to this
Despite being one of the less glamorous kitchen jobs, it is possibly one of the most important. Not only is an unclean bin unpleasant due to the smell that comes with it, but it can also attract all kinds of unwanted visitors to your home, from ants to rats and cockroaches. Additionally, studies show that simply inhaling the fumes of a mucky bin can worsen problems such as Asthma.
Making good habits will make your life far easier and cleaner! Start small by wiping the lid and rim of the bin once a day with a disinfectant wipe or spray. Use a bin cleaning powder or bicarbonate of soda inside the bin and wipe down with disinfectant everytime you change the bin bag. Avoid overfilling the bag to decrease the risk of the dreaded bag split!
Letting animals on the kitchen counters - 56% Brits admitted to this
Despite being perhaps the most common sensical rule in a pet household, 56% of Brits admit to letting animals on the kitchen counter. Be it a cat, hamster or even a small dog, animals on the countertop introduce a lot of dangerous bacteria to your food prep space that can (and should) be avoided. No matter how clean your pet is, keeping them off the counter will ensure that you are preparing your food in a clean and hygienic space.
The best way to avoid a pet on the counter is to train it out of them whilst they’re young. If your pet is already a persistent countertop surfer, try putting down some aluminum foil or sticky tape at the edge of the counter. Alternatively, you can buy kitchen safe pet repellent to spray on the surfaces or buy a climbing frame to provide an alternative for your pet.
Not cleaning the fridge - 48% Brits admitted to this
As one of the most important appliances in your kitchen, maintaining the cleanliness of your fridge is incredibly important for keeping your food fresh and you and your family healthy. According to research, most food-related illnesses, such as salmonella, E. coli and listeria, are caused by a dirty fridge.
Clearly, cleaning up spills and leakages will help you maintain the cleanliness of your fridge for longer, but be sure to deep clean your fridge at least every 2-3 months. For the ultimate fridge cleaning session, empty the fridge and put your food in a cooler, turn off the fridge then remove the shelves and clean them with hot soapy water. Use luke-warm, soapy water or a cold water antibacterial solution inside of the fridge, paying particular attention to any grooves or holes that may be harbouring bacteria and grime.
Top tip! Make sure to let your fridge shelves get to room temperature before washing them to prevent them from shattering in the hot water.
Not cleaning a mop head after use - 34% Brits admitted to this
Cleaning the mop head may not necessarily be something that you would think of doing automatically after each use, but is important to maintain the cleanliness and safety of your home. Reusing unwashed mop heads increases the spread of germs and grime, effectively undoing all of your hard work!
Once you’ve finished mopping, rinse the mophead in the sink until the dirt has visibly gone. If possible, put your mophead on a hot but gentle wash in the washing machine and leave to dry completely before using it again. Alternatively, you can soak it in a half water, half bleach solution for 15-20 minutes, and then rinse until the water runs clear. Replace your mophead ideally every three months (more often if you have particularly dirty floors), or if the mophead has mildew.
Not washing hands before preparing food - 21% Brits admitted to this
Washing your hands is important now more than ever and it is a well known fact that you should be washing your hands during and after food prep, however, it seems that just over 1 in 5 Brits admit to not washing their hands before cooking their dinner. Hosting a plethora of bacteria, our hands are responsible for the transmission of almost 80% of infectious diseases, all of which can easily make their way into our homes.
Ideally you should be washing your hands regularly upon entering your house from the outside, however, washing before cooking is just as important even if you haven’t stepped foot outside of your front door. The type of soap you choose is not of the utmost importance, but following the correct hand washing protocol is, to ensure you are protecting yourself and those around you. As a rule of thumb, wet your hands with water and lather soap correctly for 20-30 seconds, making sure to clean under nails and around the nails thoroughly. When you’re finished simply pat your hands dry with a clean cloth or (preferably) paper towel and you’re good to go!
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