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Tips For A Safer Kitchen

The kitchen is the ideal place for bacteria and other health risks. Read this article to find out how to keep your kitchen safer and cleaner.

Food Spoilage and Temperature Control

Food should either be kept hot or cold. The bacteria that causes spoilage and food poisoning grows best when food is lukewarm. Care needs to be taken with raw poultry, seafood and egg-based foods including mayonnaise and egg salad.

Refrigerator temperature needs to be 40 degrees or below. You should get a refrigerator thermometer and check it often to make sure proper temperature is maintained.

Keep shrimp, lobster and oysters in the refrigerator on ice. Seafood should be placed directly on ice and the ice should be placed in a colander inside another container - so the melting water can be drained off.

When you need to place a hot dish in the refrigerator, you should first leave it in a cool spot with its lid ajar for a short while to allow it to cool down a bit. If you place a hot dish in the refrigerator before it cools off, it could warm up the entire refrigerator, raising the temperature above 40 degrees and causing the food inside to spoil.

You should remove the stuffing that has been cooked inside a turkey or chicken right after the bird has been served so that it can cool down more quickly than it would do inside. Experts recommend cooking the stuffing separately and serving it as a side dish as this is safer than allowing it to absorb potentially harmful bacteria from inside the bird (or preventing the interior from reaching the necessary temperature to ensure it is completely cooked).

Slips and Falls

Grease, oils, soapy water or even a banana peel are all sources of possible kitchen injuries. Here are a few tips to prevent injuries from kitchen falls.

Keep a mop handy for immediate cleanup of spills.

Don't leave boxes, stools, bags of groceries or any other items on the floor where they can trip you up.

Glazed floor tiles can be dangerous and should be avoided if possible. Such a hard surface ensures breakage of any dropped glassware or dishes and can be very slippery with even a slight coating of soapy water or oil.

Kitchen Electricity

Electricity in the kitchen can be dangerous - take care to prevent possible electrocutions and fires.

Electrical cords need to be inspected for breaks, cuts or frayed areas and repaired or replaced if any are damaged.

Don't overload circuits by using multiple plugs or extension cords. Old wiring should be checked by an electrician to determine their load carrying capacity.

Appliances should not be used near the sink or any other source of water as an appliance that falls into water could electrocute anyone who touches that water. If you have wall sockets near your sink, you will need to install Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters or use GFCI extensions.

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