As the weather gets cooler and we head into the holiday season, it can be easy to cut a few corners in the hustle and bustle — including a clean and healthy kitchen.
Food safety is something that should never be overlooked. This week, we’re looking at how you can use your cabinetry to maintain a clean and healthy kitchen throughout the year.
Food Storage
It’s not just about the preparation of food that keeps your kitchen safe for your family, but also the storage before and after. You should always ensure that food isn’t past its expiration date, and has been stored at the appropriate temperatures. Dairy and meat should always remain cold, and frozen foods should be slowly thawed in the refrigerator — never at room temperature on your countertops.
But what about foods that don’t require refrigeration? When you use your kitchen pantry cabinet to its best potential, you can save yourself time in preparation and maintain a cleaner kitchen. Why let this great space go to waste?
Keeping your kitchen pantry cabinet organized can help you stay up-to-date on the foods you store there, including expiration dates and items that might have been left open for too long. By having a kitchen pantry cabinet that meets your food storage needs, you can keep your kitchen healthy and tidy.
For tips on how to maximize storage space in your pantry from The RTA Store, click here.
Food Preparation
Your white shaker cabinetry might look clean, but there are still hidden dangers lurking in your kitchen. Cross contamination has the biggest potential for problems. Handling the preparation of raw meats and fish, as well as dairy, can be the difference between a healthy meal and a sick family. You should always ensure surfaces that have come in contact with raw meats, fish, eggs and other food products are cleaned with hot, soapy water, or try mixing up this bleach solution from Very Well Health.
If you are uncertain about the raw meat in your refrigerator, don’t take the risk. Properly dispose of any expired food in a pullout waste container within a base cabinet, to hide unpleasant looking and smelling trash until you can take it to the curb. Remember, food that has been incorrectly stored or mishandled should never be consumed. Keeping your family safe should be the top priority in a clean and healthy kitchen.
At The RTA Store, we help make your dream home a reality with RTA (ready to assemble) and pre-assembled cabinets and accessories. Whether it’s your kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, home office, home bar, or TV room, we offer the same (if not better) quality you would find at any retail store, but for a fraction of the price. Stop by our website or give us a call, and let us make your dreams come true with the help of our free room design service.
