Mind & Body Benefits of a Clean Kitchen

Contributor: Cristin Smith
Photographer: Sarah Shreves

Kitchens are considered the heart of the home. They’re the places we make our food, learn new skills and create joyous, day-to-day memories with our families. Keeping the kitchen clean and toxin-free is important for numerous reasons, aside from food safety.

A messy, cluttered kitchen may actually keep you from wanting to cook wholesome meals for you and your family. Keep counters and storage spaces clean to guarantee that your kitchen remains an inviting place in your home, and ensure you’ll have plenty of usable workspace come meal time.

Many people use cleaning as a way of reducing stress, but a clean home can also prevent additional unnecessary stress in our lives. Simple, regular household chores—like doing the dishes—keep bacteria at bay. The result: fewer instances of seasonal illness and undue stress!

Although many of us avoid using the microwave as often as possible, and as much as we’d hate to admit it, they do come in handy during particularly busy times of the year. Even when used infrequently, its one appliance we should be keenly aware of keeping clean, considering the food particles left behind can grow bacteria, which then contaminate everything else put into the microwave.

 
All-Natural Microwave Cleaner
•    1 lemon
•    Water

Fill a microwave-safe bowl with water. Add lemon juice and both lemon halves to the water. Place the bowl in the center of the microwave, and run for about 5 minutes, or until water boils. Then, let the mixture stand, steaming inside the microwave for 20-30 minutes while you complete other cleaning tasks. Remove the bowl and wipe the inside of your microwave clean with a damp cloth. (The longer you steam, the easier it will be to wipe out!)

The natural acidity of lemon makes it the perfect, mildly disinfectant kitchen staple for cleaning everything from cutting boards and countertops to garbage disposals. Not surprisingly, it’s also a common ingredient in many non-toxic and natural cleaning products, both homemade and manufactured. The next time someone asks how you manage to keep your kitchen so spotless, let them in on this little secret!