Home Chic Club: How to keep your kitchen clean / Coronavirus Tips

Use this 7 tips to keep your kitchen clean and virus free during the pandemic time and stay healthy.

The kitchen is one of the spaces in which we spend a lot of time at home, therefore, it is one of the places to which we must pay more attention. Also, we are making a lot of meals at home, so I have to make sure that the food is in good condition. Therefore I`m sharing my tips how to make the kitchen free of dirt and possible infections. Especially now, with the crisis of coronavirus (Covid-19).

Latest scientific research shows that virus is a microorganism that cannot reproduce on surfaces or in food, but it can remain in them for hours or even more. Therefore, we must take steps to protect our family from infections. Which bring us to a 7 tips you can do in the kitchen to keep it clean and virus free.

Before cooking or doing anything in the kitchen, wash your hands with warm soapy water, scrubbing vigorously your fingers, backs, and wrists for 30 seconds. Then dry with a clean cloth or even better single-use paper towel.
Frequently clean countertops and surfaces with a household cleaner or soap and water, rubbing them with a scouring pad intended exclusively for this purpose and leave to act for a few minutes. I use my DIY countertop cleaner: 1 cup 95% alcohol, 2 cups warm water, few drops dish soap and 10-20 drops of essential oil (it`s totally optional and you can skip it). Pour it into a spay bottle and use on the granite or other materials. Then rinse and dry with a clean cloth or paper towel.
Always keep common spaces clean, like knobs on the doors and cabinets, the light switch, the fridge handle.., anything you touch frequently. I use 95% alcohol in a small spray bottle. Just spay it and leave it to dry, or use soap and water, like on the countertops. Also, keep your fridge clean at all times.
Cook food at high temperature above 70ºC and keep it protected to avoid recontamination. If you are not going to use food immediately, refrigerate it or keep it warm (above 65º). Consume as soon as possible.
Clean dishes and kitchenware, preferably in a dishwasher, at maximum temperature.
Change and wash frequently dish towels and the textile material in each cooking session at maximum temperature. You can also leave the scouring pads and cloths to soak in 10% bleach for five minutes. I also iron my dish towels on high temperature to be extra safe.
Finally, when you finish cooking, you should do a general cleaning of the kitchen and the floor and open the windows to ventilate the entire space. You can use DIY cleaner I mentioned before on your countertops, cabinet doors and floor. Mine kitchen cabinets are white, so it`s very easy to notice any dirt, but keep in mind that viruses are not visible, so take time to very accurately clean all the surfaces to avoid any contamination.