Importance Of Keeping A Kitchen Clean

A clean environment is healthier than one left in a messy state, and this is especially true with the kitchen. A clean kitchen is easier to manage when spills and splatters happen. It's also less likely to attract rodents or insects. Once they get in, you'll have to do even more intensive cleaning to stop the issue. Cleanliness may or may not be next to godliness, but it's a factor in healthiness.

The longer a mess sits in the kitchen, the harder it is to clean up, as you may have noticed if you've ever left dirty dishes sitting for days. This is also true for spills near the sink, splatters on the stove top, and greasy film on the backsplash or cabinets. A fresh food or drink spill wipes up with ease compared to letting that same substance sit until it dries or hardens. It's worthwhile to take a moment to clean up a spill or mess as soon as you notice it rather than to spend exponentially more time trying to clean it up another day.

If you make it a habit to clean up immediately after eating or cooking, it becomes routine and not a chore that's done begrudgingly at a later date. It's also easier to cook or bake starting with a clean kitchen rather than one cluttered by stacks of dirty dishes, pots and pans, and random messes.

Rodents are opportunists. If areas of your kitchen contain crumbs or small bits of food easily accessed by a rat or mouse, it'll probably find it. Likewise, any packages of food products left unsealed in areas such as the pantry or on the countertop are bound to attract any mice that find their way into your home. After all, mice need to eat, too.

Sweep the floor after all food-related projects in the kitchen and after eating. You may not realize anything fell to the floor, but unless you have a dog, there's a good chance there are crumbs or small bits of food lying around from time to time. Rodents easily find food on the floor but also in pantries, around the toaster, you name it. If these areas are kept clean, any rodent looking for food will look elsewhere instead.

Rodent teeth easily chew through thin plastic packaging and cardboard. If you've ever noticed signs of rodents in the pantry or anywhere you keep food, store new food in airtight containers such as glass storage jars instead of flimsy store packaging.

Insects are also pests in a kitchen, particularly one that's messy. Old partially used bags of rice or flour are common infestation sites for pests such as weevils and pantry moths. Keep the cupboard and pantry shelves wiped clean to help prevent infestations. Store flour and opened boxes of cereal in airtight storage containers to help prevent such insect issues. Throw away any shelf-stable goods past their expiration dates; the longer any dried goods sit around in the cupboard, the greater the likelihood of insect issues.

Messes left on shelves, countertops and the floor may also attract roaches. Cockroaches eat all sorts of things but are especially fond of foods that are greasy, starchy or sweet. If you leave old food around, including any bits stuck to dirty dishes, there's a greater chance of attracting cockroaches. They'll even eat cardboard, so it's a good idea to clean every mess as soon as possible and to store food in airtight containers rather than just the original cardboard packaging.

Any kitchen that's messy enough to cause insect or rodent infestations is also a health concern for humans. Rodents and insects create their own messes that could aggravate allergies, asthma, and similar health conditions.