Germ Free Solutions
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Information Center
2007 Copyright Germ Free Solutions
KITCHEN CLEANING BASICS
Wiping down the counter and tossing out last week's Chinese take-out is a start.
Washing the dishes and sweeping the floor is even better.
But getting down and dirty with kitchen grime involves more than you might realize.
Illness-inducing bacteria and funky odors thrive in kitchens; some are in places you might
not expect.
Kitchens need a deep cleaning about once a month. We usually forget the dishwasher
because we think a machine that washes dishes must be clean. It's the same thing with
the coffee maker.
Clean as you go, and monthly scrub-up won't take so long. Don't forget, those kitchen
appliances need a little Mr. Clean too.
You probably already know the basics - clean the sink, the oven, the floors, the counters
and the cutting boards. But before you put away the soap and sponge, add these
appliances to the to-do list.
Coffee Maker - Pour 2 to 3 cups of water and white distilled vinegar intot he coffee pot,
then brew as usual. Stop halfway through the cycle, and allow the cleaning mixture to sit
for several minutes. Resume brewing. Brew again with two cups of water to rid machine
of any residual vinegar.
Dishwasher - Fill the detergent cup with white distilled vinegar and run the empty
dishwasher to wash away lime deposits, stains and mildew. Or a packet of powdered
lemonade (such as Kool-Aid Lemonade) works just as well.
Garbage Disposal - Grind orange skins (lemon or lime also work) with a handful of ice
cubes. The ice sharpens the blades, and the fruit takes care of the smell.
Microwave - Pour one cup water and one cup white distilled vinegar into a glass
container. Place the container in the empty microwave and cook for four minutes.
Remove container, and wipe up remaining food particles.
Stove Burners - Pull the burners out of the sockets, put them on a towel and clean them
with a cloth dipped in hot, soapy water. If needed, make a paste out of baking soda and
water to remove tough stains.
Kitchen Sponge Or Dishcloth
Sanitize sponges and dishrags after each use. To kill 99.9 percent of bacteria, try any of
these strategies: Throw them in the washing machine on hot with some bleach, then dry
them or hang them out on a clothesline (ultraviolet light is a very effective germ killer);
microwave them for one minute in a bowl with a half-inch of water; or run them through
the dishwasher’s drying cycle. For small clean-ups, use paper towels - it’s quicker and
easier than sanitizing sponges all the time.
Kitchen Counters and Sink
Clean your kitchen counters and sink with an antibacterial product after preparing or
rinsing food, especially raw fruits and vegetables. Deep clean the sink twice a week with
a solution of one tablespoon of chlorine bleach and one quart of water. Scrub the basin
and wipe the faucet, then pour the solution down the drain.
Kitchen Floors
Wipe up spills and splatters quickly to prevent germs from breeding.
Clean floors once a week—or daily, if you have kids who are in the crawling stage—with a
product that says “disinfectant” or “sanitizer” on the label. If it doesn’t have one of those
words, it won’t actually kill germs.
Wiping down the counter and tossing out last week's Chinese take-out is a start.
Washing the dishes and sweeping the floor is even better.
But getting down and dirty with kitchen grime involves more than you might realize.
Illness-inducing bacteria and funky odors thrive in kitchens; some are in places you might
not expect.
Kitchens need a deep cleaning about once a month. We usually forget the dishwasher
because we think a machine that washes dishes must be clean. It's the same thing with
the coffee maker.
Clean as you go, and monthly scrub-up won't take so long. Don't forget, those kitchen
appliances need a little Mr. Clean too.
You probably already know the basics - clean the sink, the oven, the floors, the counters
and the cutting boards. But before you put away the soap and sponge, add these
appliances to the to-do list.
Coffee Maker - Pour 2 to 3 cups of water and white distilled vinegar intot he coffee pot,
then brew as usual. Stop halfway through the cycle, and allow the cleaning mixture to sit
for several minutes. Resume brewing. Brew again with two cups of water to rid machine
of any residual vinegar.
Dishwasher - Fill the detergent cup with white distilled vinegar and run the empty
dishwasher to wash away lime deposits, stains and mildew. Or a packet of powdered
lemonade (such as Kool-Aid Lemonade) works just as well.
Garbage Disposal - Grind orange skins (lemon or lime also work) with a handful of ice
cubes. The ice sharpens the blades, and the fruit takes care of the smell.
Microwave - Pour one cup water and one cup white distilled vinegar into a glass
container. Place the container in the empty microwave and cook for four minutes.
Remove container, and wipe up remaining food particles.
Stove Burners - Pull the burners out of the sockets, put them on a towel and clean them
with a cloth dipped in hot, soapy water. If needed, make a paste out of baking soda and
water to remove tough stains.
Kitchen Sponge Or Dishcloth
Sanitize sponges and dishrags after each use. To kill 99.9 percent of bacteria, try any of
these strategies: Throw them in the washing machine on hot with some bleach, then dry
them or hang them out on a clothesline (ultraviolet light is a very effective germ killer);
microwave them for one minute in a bowl with a half-inch of water; or run them through
the dishwasher’s drying cycle. For small clean-ups, use paper towels - it’s quicker and
easier than sanitizing sponges all the time.
Kitchen Counters and Sink
Clean your kitchen counters and sink with an antibacterial product after preparing or
rinsing food, especially raw fruits and vegetables. Deep clean the sink twice a week with
a solution of one tablespoon of chlorine bleach and one quart of water. Scrub the basin
and wipe the faucet, then pour the solution down the drain.
Kitchen Floors
Wipe up spills and splatters quickly to prevent germs from breeding.
Clean floors once a week—or daily, if you have kids who are in the crawling stage—with a
product that says “disinfectant” or “sanitizer” on the label. If it doesn’t have one of those
words, it won’t actually kill germs.
