by Le Grand Chef

Created on: February 22, 2009

As a chef, I have learned how to keep a kitchen clean. You never know when the health inspector, boss or even a customer will wander in. That having been said, there really is no better reason for keeping your kitchen clean than to avoid food contamination.

Keeping a kitchen spotless as you work isn't that hard. For starters, as chef I always wear an apron (at work or home). This gives me a great place to wipe my hands. Clean hands don't slip on knife handles or drop pots of food on the floor. You may also notice most chefs have a towel tucked into their apron string. This is for cleaning up little spills and sweeping cuttings from counter tops and cutting boards into the garbage. If you are cooking a big meal or doing some messy baking, change your towel or rinse it often. It's only a towel!

More than one cutting board in a kitchen is a great way to keep counters clean (and scratch free). Work on a board whenever you can and take it over to the garbage to dump scraps then give it a wash and stand it on its end in the dish drain. If you are using a board for meat or fish preparation and you for something else, give it a quick wash with soapy water, rinse then flip it over and use the other side to stop the spread of bacteria.

Most big kitchens have a pots and pans washer. At home we don't have that luxury. As I prepare food and finish with pots and pans they get left in the sink. As time permits, I stop and wash everything in the sink and pile it in the dish drain. Utensils are treated differently. Since utensils like spatulas and spoons are used again and again you should give them a quick wash after each use and put them back so they will be ready when you need them.

Knives should be washed immediately after each use and placed back in a knife block. Never leave a knife loose on the counter. A knife knocked to the floor will slice right through a shoe. Keep knives out of the sink. I have seen a person reach into a soapy sink and slice themselves on a knife they didn't see that someone else left in the water to be washed. It took me years to break my wife of this dangerous habit.

If you spill, stop and wipe it up. If you use a mixer, wipe it down when you are done and get it off the counter. When you do fill the dish drain, take two minutes to empty it. Keep your work area clean by simply putting things away when you are done with them.

At the end of your cooking session, wipe down the stove hood fan (inside as well as out). Give the stovetop a lick and a promise and pay a little attention to door handles and especially the fridge door handle. It all takes about five minutes. Finally when I am all done I squirt a little dish soap on my counter top where I was working. I take a mixing bowl with about a cup of hot water and I pour it over the soap. I then take a vegetable brush (great for cleaning pots) and scrub down the counter surfaces. With a flat sided plastic scraper (available in any cooking supply store) I squeegee off the counter and all the leftover yuck you didn't see into the bowl. Wash the bowl and scraper, dry the counter with your towel and relax knowing you kitchen is ready when you are.

Learn more about this author, Le Grand Chef.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.