10 Ways Towards a Healthier Kitchen Experience

This is a guest post written by Jakob Barry.

Spring is a time of change and renewal in the home and there’s no better place to start than in the kitchen because a healthier kitchen can make a healthier household. How so? Kitchens are like the center of a home where families gather to prepare and eat food so when the heart of it all is generally a calm soothing space the rest of the house follows.

What can you do to make your kitchen a more healing setting? Try some of the following:

1. De-clutter: It often happens that over time we collect things, even in the kitchen. Drawers and cabinets get stuffed with everything from coupons to old and decrepit pots and pans, which no longer have a use. There may even be some stocked up food now passed its expiration date. In one way or another it’s all clutter so start putting things in order, lighten the load, and get rid of whatever isn’t essential.

2. Washing dishes: It’s sometimes extremely hard after a long day to stand in the kitchen and do the dishes. Nevertheless, there are fewer things that annoy many of us more than a packed sink in the early morning. Instead of having to search for a clean mug for that cup of coffee or tea make a pact with yourself to get the dishes done before going to bed. That way the kitchen can be free of nerves and an example for the rest of the day.

3. Prevent pests: Most exterminators will tell you the best way to prevent pests in the kitchen is to clean up spills and crumbs quickly, keep trash covered, and moisture at a minimum. Other quick fixes include a few house remodeling jobs such as sealing cracks in walls near baseboards and in tiling where grout has cracked or worn away. You also might want to check kitchen window screens for holes which are an open door for bugs interested in what you’re cooking.

4. Good knives: Dull knives are often more dangerous because they can be awkward and need extra pressure for slicing. This misuse can lead to injury which is why sharp knives are a safer choice.

5. Clean towels: It’s never fun to reach for a towel and discover its not clean or there aren’t any available. For this reason keep a fresh stack in an easily accessible place. Alternatively, have a separate pile of rags under the sink ready for messier kinds of jobs. That way the nicer ones won’t get as stained and possibly carry fewer germs.

6. Plants: Not only are plants and their sometimes colorful flowers nice decorative additions to any surrounding but they are known to help purify indoor air. That being the case, the more you  have in the kitchen the easier you’ll breathe.

7. Ventilation: Plants are good purifiers of indoor air, but for a blast of fresh oxygen unclog the kitchen from the everyday stuffiness by opening the windows a couple of times a week on a nice day.

8. Clean floors: Ever heard of the five second rule, the ten second rule or even the twenty-second rule – all of which say if you drop something on the ground picking it up in one of these intervals renders it clean enough to eat? This mostly assumes the floor in the question is reasonably clean. Check out your kitchen floor and what its state of cleanliness is. You always want to pass the test.

9. Non-toxic cleaners: Try using green products instead of harsh chemical cleaners that usually product noxious fumes causing headaches, dizziness, and other unwanted ailments. Alternatively, some of the best and eco-friendly cleaning agents are regular household substance like baking soda, vinegar, and hydrogen peroxide.

10. Filtered water: Even where tap water is considered clean, it may contain lots of minerals that alter flavor and over time leave sediment in certain types of appliances or pots and pans. There’s nothing wrong with a little extra iron but having a water filter makes the source of all life taste better.

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