The Importance of Clean Kitchen Countertops

Your home is supposed to be a place you can enjoy by yourself or with your family and friends when they are there. The kitchen is essential to that. It is where you prepare food for yourself and others so it needs to be clean and germ-free. Some materials work better as countertops than others in terms of remaining germ-free, and some need certain treatments to achieve that status. Whether you prefer marble slabs Long Beach Township or another type of countertop here is a closer look at keeping them clean and safe.

The dangers in your kitchen are real
While more recently it is the coronavirus that people have been worried about, there are many issues that can cause sickness if not properly dealt with. Things like listeria, e.colo and salmonella are just three of the more commonly known concerns. Where food is prepared certain steps must be taken on marble countertops in Tinton Falls and other types. Marble by the way is definitely porous and needs to be treated to be safe for food preparation. Some of the simple things you should be doing in your kitchen to keep it clean include;

● Wash your hands before handling any food preparation as well as before you sit down to eat.
● Washing pans, pots, chopping boards and dishes straight away.
● Avoid double dipping with food and with spoons.
● Take out the trash often.
● Make sure all surfaces are wiped down properly and regularly.
● Clean up as you are preparing food.
● Avoid causing issues with cross-contamination, for example, raw meat should not be touching anything and should be cut on a separate board.

Handling bacteria and germs on your countertops
As mentioned there are some materials that while they make a great-looking countertop, are porous so bacteria will flourish. Things like wood, and certain natural stones like marble countertops in Tinton Falls for example. At the right temperature, the bacteria will spread and grow and can cause illness. There are also issues with viruses, fungi and mold spores. If you do not choose a non-porous option make sure they are properly treated to make them safe and that this treatment is repeated as needed.

Here is a closer look at some of the more popular material types in kitchens today;

1. Quartz - most quartz countertops are engineered using a mix of polymers, natural quartz minerals and resin. It makes a non-porous countertop that is easy to clean, requires no repeated sealing and is safe for food preparation.
2. Solid surface man-made options - quartz is not the only option for solid surface non-porous materials. Other options include Corian, a material made about 4 decades ago. It is also stain-resistant, heat-resistant and blade-resistant and easy to clean with warm soapy water. Harsh cleaners should not be used on it.
3. Granite - a natural stone granite is porous, but when treated then becomes safe. That resealing does need to happen fairly regularly. For heavy-use kitchens every 6 months to a year, for others up to every 2 years. Granite is very popular, it adds value to a property but should not have harsh chemicals used on it.

Summary
Whether you choose granite, quartz, or marble slabs Long Beach Township make sure you follow the guidelines on having it treated and properly maintained and cleaned.