Should You Use Bleach in the Kitchen?
When it comes to cleaning your home, the kitchen is one of the places that needs a lot of scrubbing and rinsing. Because you’re always cooking here, grease and stain are natural to find lying around. And taking a tip from Martha Stewart, you will surely need bleach.
What is Bleach?
Bleach is a chemical product used for removing stains and whitening clothes. It contains sodium hypochlorite which is a compound known for its cleaning properties. For example, if you want to remove a stain on your shirt, you will need bleach to remove it for you. This is done by breaking the molecules of the stain so they don’t stick to the shirt’s fabric. The same thing happens when bleach is used on your kitchen tables and countertops.
But apart from making things colorless, bleach can also be used as a disinfectant. Thanks to the antimicrobial properties of chlorine, it can kill germs and bacteria with just one swipe.
Bleach is often found in households because it’s used in bathrooms. However, there are also a lot of households that are against the use of bleach. Here is why.
What Makes Bleach Dangerous?
A certain kind of bleach, the chlorine bleach, is one of the most dangerous solutions you’ll ever find in a home. But if they’re so corrosive and deadly, then why are people using it?
Bleach contains chlorine which can produce toxic fumes once they are mixed with certain chemicals. One of those chemicals is ammonia (which is found in pee). When bleach and ammonia mix, the product can cause damage to your lungs. When you ingest bleach, it can also damage your stomach and your esophagus.
But contrary to popular belief, bleach in itself is not dangerous if you know how to use it properly. Think of it as any other cleaning product. If you use it in the wrong way, then you will most probably get affected. It just so happens that you need to be more mindful when you use bleach.
Why You Should Use Bleach in the Kitchen
So if you know how to use bleach, then why worry? Besides, you are missing out in a lot of tips and tricks in kitchen cleaning. Here are just some of the ways bleach can be a lifesaver for your home.
It Eliminates Germs on Furniture and Fixtures
The most common usage of bleach is as a disinfectant. This is important for your kitchen because you prepare and cook food in this room. If you have dirty countertops, then bacteria can make your family prone to illness. If you also use tiles on the counter, bleach can remove the molds and the grout forming in between them.
Countertops aren’t the only things bleach can clean. You can also use bleach when wiping your appliances. This can help remove the grease and molds forming. It will also leave a clean smell behind.
It Disinfects the Garbage Can
Just because your garbage can is hidden inside a cabinet doesn’t mean that germs won’t spread. So whenever you take out the trash, don’t forget to clean your container before putting it back in the kitchen.
This is when you’ll need bleach. Bleach is a powerful disinfectant that can kill the germs that are left on your garbage can. After you wash it with soap, add another layer of cleanliness to it by wiping it with a bleach solution. In this way, you’re sure that even your garbage can is free of germs.
It Brightens Food Containers
Another important element of your kitchen is your food containers. Food containers are often used for prepping meals or for storing things in the fridge. So if you’ve stored smelly and greasy food there, a simple dishwashing solution is not enough to clean it. Besides, over time it will start to yellow because of the color stains left by food.
Bleach can help revive your old food containers by making them look brand-new. Whether they’re made of porcelain, plastic, or glass, bleach can handle all of them. You can do this by mixing a teaspoon of bleach to your dishwashing liquid and then cleaning the container. For some, they prefer soaking their stained dishes in a bleach solution for 10-15 minutes. Just make sure that when you do, rinse them well and wipe them dry.
It Cleans the Kitchen Floors
Just like any floor, your kitchen floors aren’t immune to stains. In fact, they probably receive so much stains because of the many spills and splatters while cooking. To use bleach for your floors, mix half a cup of bleach powder with a gallon water and scrub it on the floor. You can use a mop so you don’t have to go down on your knees to do this yourself. Let the bleach settle for 5 minutes and rinse it with water. Wipe it with a dry mop or let it air dry.
It’s a Good Laundry Agent
If you’re using kitchen and hand towels, bleach is also a great way to remove the stains that got stuck on the fabric. Bleach goes deep into the material and breaks down the molecules that hold the stain together. It’s just like how your clothes get cleaned.
It Sanitizes the Sponges
And lastly, you shouldn’t forget to sanitize your sponges. Next to your trash can, your sponge is probably the dirtiest thing in your kitchen. So to make sure that you aren’t spreading germs on the next batch of dishes, sanitize your sponges using ¾ cup of bleach in a water solution. Mix it with a gallon of water and soak the sponges for 5 minutes. After this, let the sponge air dry.
These six uses of bleach aren’t the only things this handy cleaner can do. So it’s a pity to avoid using it on your kitchen just because it poses a hazard. In the end, bleach is good for cleaning and maintaining your home. Just remember to keep it out of reach of children and to never ever mix it with anything else except water.