Cleaning the Kitchen

Take out everything which is in the fridge right now, check what is good to consume and what is past the expiration date, clean the fridge, and, in the end, put back all the good-to-use products. Also, defrost the fridge, if it does not have the no frost option. It is not that much of a work, but if you have a bigger fridge it can easily take you a couple of hours. Some people consider this a bit too unpleasant to do it, but it is important to be done, nevertheless. For those who do not enjoy cleaning the refrigerator, it might seem good enough to clean it as rarely as once a month. Others, who are a bit obsessed with cleanliness, would suggest cleaning it every two weeks, even every week.

Actually, if you have different sections in your fridge – for dairy, for meat products, for greens, or most of your foods are in plastic boxes or wrapped, the fridge will not get dirty so easily and you will have to occasionally clean just the dirty sections. A good idea is to start the tradition to cook the “What I have in the fridge” meal every Friday and put all that is close to expiration in a pot and hope it works.

Throw away all the sponges in the kitchen.

The dishwashing procedure has been perfectly dealt with by a little piece of machinery called a dishwashing machine. They consume less water, dishwashing liquid, and give more spare time to the housewife. But what should a housewife, who has no dishwashing machine, do?

The problem in this case is that sponges are a great source for bacteria and germs to grow. Here are a few tips how to sanitize it.

Put it in the microwave on the highest power setting for thirty seconds. This should kill almost all bacteria there might be. Before you put it in the microwave, soak it in water a little bit just so it does not set on fire while inside.

Another thing you could do if you do have a washing machine is put it in it along with the dirty dishes on a hot water program.

Soak it in lemon juice or vinegar. It is not extremely effective, but it is still much better than nothing.

The best and most radical solution is to throw away the sponges from the kitchen. Use paper towel instead, to wipe the dining table and the kitchen raft.

Prepare a mixture of dishwashing liquid and hot water in a big pot. Put rubber gloves on so you do not burn your hands. In this hot soapy water, put the glasses first, then rinse them under running water. Then, put the plates and bowls in the same water. Rinse them with cold running water. This way you will hardly need a sponge at all.