Safety and hygiene | Kitchen

Our FREE guide contains practical advice for consumers who are considering buying a new kitchen, bedroom, bathroom or home office.

Safety & hygiene

Welcome to our section dedicated to hygiene and safety in the kitchen – we hope that you find the following tips and suggestions useful.

When planning a new kitchen consider ergonomics. Ensure that the sink and hob are fairly close together and not separated by a door or passageway. For comfort in use, a kitchen should be planned for the height of the main user, with worktops at the correct height and the wall cupboards positioned so that they can be reached easily without undue stretching. The “standard” worktop height is 900mm.
Flooring – Choose non-slip materials and always wipe up spills immediately. Water-resistant floors will not warp or crack. Remember that tiles can be quite tiring to stand on for long periods as they have no flex.
Store all cutting objects in one place, inaccessible to children.
Low level ovens with a low surface temperature during operation, due to triple-glazing or a cooling system, will prevent children accidentally burning themselves should they touch the cooker in use. Gas hobs should have a flame failure device which cuts off the supply if the flame is accidentally extinguished.
Ensure your kitchen is equipped with fire fighting equipment and that you have smoke detectors fitted and that they are functional.

Remember to turn saucepan handles away from the edge of the hob.
Place heavy items such as casserole dishes and small appliances in the base cupboards. Lighter items such as glassware or packets can be stored in the wall cupboards. Deep pan drawers with non-slip bases allow crockery to be stored without sliding as the drawer is opened and closed.
Unplug electrical appliances such as blenders and electric knives.
Small appliances should have flexes shortened or replaced with the curly type to prevent children accidentally pulling on any flex which might overhang the worktop.
Never put bleaches or solvent cleaners in pop bottles (to avoid the risk of poisoning).
Store matches and lighters out of the reach of children.
Fit child locks on any drawers and doors containing chemicals, knives or other potentially dangerous objects.

Kitchen hygiene

Using a dishwasher is generally far more hygienic than washing up by hand as it operates at higher temperatures and dries by steam rather than a tea-towel which can harbour bacteria.
Good extraction will reduce odours, steam and particularly grease from cooking.
Avoid dirt traps where crumbs and spillages can gather – well-sealed worktop joins, sinks and worktops in one seamless material, easy-clean door knobs and fitted furniture will all help.
Make sure that refuse bins are emptied and cleaned regularly.

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