subject: Kitchen Cupboards - Tips For Storage And Cleaning [print this page] Below is a small guide to getting the best out of your kitchen cupboards with cleaning and storage tips for maximising your space.
Food Storage: When thinking about storing food in your cupboards, always remember that the environment that will suit this best is spaces that are dry, well ventilated, cool and dark, and not too close to a heat source. The reason that the cupboards must be cool, is that food, including packaged and tinned, will start to deteriorate after time if the temperature is too high. This also goes for food that is in an environment that is too light, especially food like vegetables and spices. The reason why the space should be well ventilated is that food such as biscuits will start to go soft.
Try not to overfill your cupboards with too much food, because if there is any kind of infestation, then all the food in that cupboard would have to be thrown away, and the whole inside of the cupboard would need to be cleaned. The trick is to buy food as you need it, and store like for like food types together, e.g. tinned foods together and so on. Place the newly bought items to the back of the fridge, so that you are using up the food in a chronological fashion, meaning that there will be less wasted food, as you will be throwing less away that has passed its expiry date.
Cleaning: Ideally, your cupboards should be cleaned out weekly. Just use a damp cloth to wipe over the handles, door fronts and drawers. If your cupboards are full of bits of food and dust, then this is going to attract pests and encourage mould, giving your cupboards a stale smell. Once every couple of months, empty everything out completely and clean out the insides using a damp cloth. Check all your food expiry dates,a nd also that none of the packages are ripped, and that none of the tins are rusty or bulging (which will indicate that the contents are spoiled). Dry the insides with a clean cloth, and then leave open the doors to allow them to dry completely, before putting all your food back in, remembering agin to put the oldest food at the front.
All cupboards that contain glass or china should be emptied out totally and wiped down at least twice a year. Wash any of the china or glass that has become dusty or greasy.
I hope that this guide has been helpful and given you a few tips on how to make the most of your kitchen storage space.
