Words by Alexander Provins, Director EMEA, Blueair
As Eid Al Adha approaches, the kitchen will once again be the heart of the home, as family and friends join together to celebrate. Keeping the kitchen spotless can seem an impossible task, especially with the continual preparing of family favourites for the occasion.
However, keeping the kitchen clean and organised is easier than you may think. Advocates for cleanliness (especially when it comes to germs and bacteria), the experts at Blueair share a few simple ways to keep the kitchen clean and tidy.
Fridge Planning
We can all be culprits of overbuying groceries and doubling up on items due to lack of planning prior to going grocery shopping.A tip to avoid an overcrowded kitchen is the “one in, one out” rule when stocking it. Take the time to plan your grocery list, checking the fridge and cupboards for items that are about to run out or expire, then plan how you will utilise them so they don’t go to waste. The intent should be to buy to replace an item you have removed. This is also the perfect chance to plan the dinner menu for the coming days in order to limit food waste.
Microwave hacks
Did you know that you can microwave your sponge? While this may sound strange, it is an effective measure to keep it clean. For an item that’s supposed to clean your home, sponges are a breeding ground for bacteria, since they’re typically moist and porous. By microwaving your sponge for 90 seconds on full power, you’ll actually reduce the bacteria by 99 percent, according to the Journal of Environmental Health.
Adding to that, you can also clean the microwave itself using a lemon. All you need is a lemon, microwave-safe bowl and some water – a squeaky-clean microwave without using harsh chemicals. Simply add half a cup of water into a bowl with a lemon cut in half, and microwave it for 3 minutes. The water and lemon will loosen grime, so you can easily wipe the inside of the microwave clean, starting with the ceiling and working your way down.
Consider the quality of the air in the kitchen
During cooking, many contaminants are released. Once released into the air, they adhere to fabrics and surfaces and can linger for days. Long-term exposure, especially in an enclosed space with poor ventilation, can cause headaches and fatigue, among other things. The best way to avoid unpleasant odours and fine dust, is to remove them from the air as quickly as possible.
In addition to opening windows and using the extractor hood in the kitchen, you can effectively remove cooking odours by using an air purifier. The filters of our air purifiers use activated carbon, to remove odours, smoke and VoCs from indoor air. Blueair air purifiers, such as the Blueair DustMagnet™ uses the unique HEPASilent™ technology which captures 99.97 percent of the pollutants down to 0,1 micron in size, so the air in your kitchen is both clean and smells fresh again!
A unique use for your toothbrush
While your sink looks to be crystal clean, there’s often a whole lot of gunk sticking inside the rubber guard of your garbage disposal that a regular kitchen brush struggles to get rid of. Luckily, an old toothbrush makes the perfect tool to scrub away the grime (yes, a toothbrush!).
That goes for other items in your kitchen as well – difficult spots in the oven, microwave or even your toaster might hold unwanted bacteria, and an old toothbrush is an easily accessible tool which can reach places other cleaning equipment can’t.
