Your kitchen is where you spend at least two hours (or more) everyday. It is also a place, which needs to be kept clean because food borne diseases can be easily transmitted thanks to contaminated food or dirty kitchen surfaces.

Here are some tips that you should keep in mind...

- Your kitchen counter is used several times a day — to cut vegetables, lay out utensils, etc. Hence, make it a habit to keep it clean and dry as much as possible. Use a disinfectant and a soft, clean cloth to wipe it down several times a day.
- Avoid leaving wet utensils on the counter — they might attract bacteria. Wipe them dry and then put them in their place.
- Always keep your dustbin covered and in a corner. Spray an insect repellent in your dustbin every night before you turn it. This will ensure that the bin does not attract roaches and other bugs.
- Your refrigerator handle can be a hotbed for bacteria. Hence, clean it everyday with a moist cloth to ensure that there are no dirty fingerprints on it.
- The kitchen floor bears the brunt of a lot of spills. Keep a mop handy to wipe off any food that has accidentally spilled on to the floor.
- Your stove also tends to get dirty quickly. Hence, make it a habit to clean it regularly. Use a mixture of water and lemon to remove the grease.
- Keep two vegetable chopping boards and alternate between them. It is preferable to use a wooden chopping board instead of a plastic one since wooden ones tend to last longer.
- Very often the smell of stale food tends to overwhelm you when you step into your kitchen. To beat this, cut an onion into four pieces and place it around the kitchen. Onions can literally soak in smells.

Source: Times of India

BDST: 1819 HRS, NOV- 23, 2015
Edited by:  Sharmina Islam, Lifestyle Editor