Kitchens should be places we feel warm, safe and comfortable as long as we follow our common sense.
Kitchens can be beautiful rooms – whether it’s a country farmhouse style kitchen, a modern shaker kitchen, or a bespoke free standing kitchen. Sleek or cosy, minimalist or traditional, kitchens are increasingly lusted after rooms that have become the ultimate status symbol. But it’s easy to take kitchens for granted. In fact, our homes are places we tend to let our defences down as we feel familiar and safe. Yet every year, thousands of accidents happen in the home. So what are the dangers lurking in our kitchens?
Kitchens and Bacteria
The most obvious danger in our kitchens is bacteria. As places where we store, prepare and cook food, kitchens are exposed to potentially dangerous illnesses such as salmonella – a risk if you undercook poultry – or food poisoning if the meat or fish is off. Although it’s always crucial you take food hygiene seriously, that doesn’t mean going crazy with the anti-bacterial spray. Some scientists believe bacteria to some extent is good for our immune systems, and being excessively clean has been linked to a rise in asthma and allergies.
Disinfecting Kitchens
One of the leading bacterial causes of food poisoning is Campylobacter – which is thought to cause around 360,000 cases of food poisoning in Britain every year. And our kitchens are where the bacteria have a flying start. This bacterium is natural to birds and lives in their bowels, which is why raw poultry can be covered in it. If you handle raw chicken in your kitchen for example, it’s crucial that you wash your hands after handling and disinfect the chopping board before preparing any other food if you want to avoid the diarrhoea risk.
Kitchens: Keep Yours Safe
Our kitchens then have the potential to be the most dangerous room in the house. When it comes to installing or designing your kitchens – make sure you have plenty of workspace with generous sinks so it’s easy to manoeuvre, clean and wash as you cook. Some hygienists suggest you keep separate chopping boards for meats and raw food. It isn’t just our kitchens we need to keep clean – but the things we wash up with. Washing bowls can attract huge amounts of bacteria so you end up washing up in a ‘microbial soup’. Avoid using washing up bowls and make sure you regularly disinfect your sink – as well as your dishcloths. Our kitchens can be comforting, safe places if we keep to these simple rules – and regularly wash our hands properly.
At DIY Kitchens, find the kitchen of your dreams – as well as a range of kitchen accessories, from door handles to kitchen sinks. Take a look at our extensive collections – you can buy online or call us on 01977 698418 to find out more.
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