Extension @ Your Service: Spring clean your kitchen

Now that the spring weather is finally here many people have started to clean their houses. The kitchen is a very important area to focus on to help prevent food borne illness. Here are some tips to cleaning and organizing your kitchen.

Extension @ Your Service by Alyssa Anderson

Extension @ Your Service
by Alyssa Anderson

A great place to start is the refrigerator. It is important to make sure that the temperature of the refrigerator is at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or lower to prevent foodborne illness. If the refrigerator does not have a thermometer, one can be purchased specifically for refrigerators and freezers at a hardware store. It is important to keep the refrigerator cold as you clean, so it may be helpful to take food out a shelf at a time for sorting. Check all items for their expiration date, which is labeled on the outside packaging.

Any food past it’s expiration date should be thrown away. Wipe down the shelves and drawers. When putting food back in the refrigerator, place foods closer to their expiration date up front so that they are used more quickly. Keep produce or ready to eat items away from items that will need cooking, such as raw meat, to prevent contamination. Uncooked meat and fish should be stored toward the bottom to prevent juices from dripping onto foods. Always store leftover foods in food safe containers that are leak proof and that can be sealed or covered.

Another important area to clean is the pantry. Again, check the expiration dates on items and discard all those that have expired. Often times it is easy to keep items such as dried herbs and seasonings for too long. Clean and dust the shelves before restocking the food. Place the foods that will expire soon up front and the newer purchased items towards the back.

Next, focus on cleaning the area where food is prepared. Sanitize backsplashes, countertops, garbage cans, and recycle bins. Clean the outside of appliances focusing on areas where the dirt can easily collect. Wipe down the inside and outside of cabinets. Finally, sweep and mop the floor.

Now that your kitchen is ready for the spring, it is important to note some regular upkeep so that you can enjoy it all year round. Continue to rotate food based on expiration dates in the pantry and refrigerator; this way older foods are use before their expiration date. Always discard items that are past their expiration dates. Between uses, wipe down and sanitize bins that store flour and sugar. Regularly check the refrigerator thermometer to make sure that foods are being stored at a safe temperature.

Alyssa Anderson is the Family & Consumer Sciences agent for the Richmond County Cooperative Extension Office in Rockingham. Send her an email.

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