Keeping the Coronavirus out of your kitchen!

Did the virus of today make you realize how unclean humans can be? Everyone’s walking around with mask, gloves, and squirts of hand sanitizers just to stay clean. The Coronavirus has widely spread throughout the world and is impacting a little bit of everyone. Now everyone is going over board to be clean. However being clean or cleaning should not be something new as it should be something we all maintain. Some might not be properly informed and that is fair. I will go over common practices to keep the risk of germs low while in the kitchen.

First things first. NEVER cook in a dirty kitchen. I’m not sure about you but for me I can’t think straight when the kitchen is dirty. It makes me feel like the clutter is closing in on me. Besides that, it’s just not sanitary. Wash up any dirty dishes you may have. Clean and disinfect ( because it’s a difference) your counter tops, stove, even the microwave. I also believe as much as we love them, animals do not belong in the kitchen. My saying is “ if you haven’t washed your hands and feet, don’t come in this kitchen bothering me”! You should also put away any dishes that are clean and you won’t be using. This also go for the seasonings you’ve left out from the other day when you were cooking. It’s just better and sanitary to have a clean work space. As you cook you should clean. Even if there isn’t a plan to cook, tidy up the kitchen.

Practice cleaning common areas that are touched frequently on a daily basis. This would be things like the light switch, handles, counter tops, sink, faucet, handles, and the microwave. If you wear shoes outside and inside your home I recommend mopping also. For me I keep my shoes on a rack in the laundry area before we enter our home. This way outside germs we may have picked up on our shoes does not enter the home. You also want to disinfect after each time you finish cooking and at least 2-3 times a week. Yes, cleaning and disinfecting are two different things. Disinfecting refers to the use of a chemical to kill the surface of germs. It’s one way to lower this risk of the spread of germs. You also want to wear gloves when using these chemical products. I still like to use diluted bleach. Just add a few caps to some water. DID YOU KNOW ON THE BACK OF CLOROX, LYSOL, AND PURELL IT SAYS IT KILLS THE CORONAVIRUS ON HOUSEHOLD SURFACES!? Now I’m no partner of either one of these companies ( but if they call I’ll take the deal lol), but I recommend that you keep any one of them in your home. Again I like Clorox.

Now it’s time to prep your kitchen to cook. The number one thing you want to do is prevent cross contamination of raw meat. Make sure not the meat to touch anything other than the bowl or container it sits on. Also if your meat is stored in the fridge while you prep, keep it on the bottom shelf. This way any droppings from the meat won’t contaminate anything. If you can try to have two cutting boards in your home. Use one for meats and one for veggies. It is also easier to have all portions set aside. From food to seasoning and cookware. This will make cooking a easy process. You won’t have to look for something while possibly burning up the dish causing you to ruin dinner. When all is ready begin cooking.

I’ll leave you with a few other tips. Wash your hands for 30 seconds or more. So think of a good song and get to singing. Never allow an ill person in the kitchen as this can quickly spread germs from one person to another . Also it puts the ill person at risk as well. Germs found in a kitchen could worsen an ill persons condition. Also wear gloves when cleaning or cooking for large groups. This will also cut down the spread of germs but also keep cross contamination down.

I hope this blog was able to help remind or inform you of a few common practices to keeping the Coronavirus out of your kitchen. Before you go do me a BIG favor drop a comment, like, and share! Until next time… stay safe.