How to cook cleanly and safely

Living independently at uni often means learning to cook for yourself, which can be both exciting and challenging. To ensure that your cooking experience is both safe and enjoyable, it’s important to follow some essential tips on kitchen safety and cleanliness.

Preventing fires

Stay attentive

• Never leave cooking unattended: The most common cause of kitchen fires is unattended cooking. Always stay in the kitchen while cooking, especially when using the hob or oven.
• Keep flammable items away: Ensure that flammable items (such as tea towels, paper towels, wooden utensils, etc) are kept away from the stove.
• Use timers: Set timers to remind you when food needs checking. This can prevent overcooking and potential fire hazards.

Safe use of appliances

• Check appliances: Regularly check that your cooking appliances are in good working condition. Report any faulty equipment to your accommodation’s maintenance team.
• Microwave safety: Never put metal objects or foil in the microwave, as they can cause sparks and fires.
• Use the extractor fan: If available, always use the cooker hood or an extractor fan to ventilate your kitchen while cooking. If not available, you can open a window to ventilate.

 Avoiding build-up of mess

Clean as you go

• Wash up immediately: Wash dishes, utensils, and pots and pans as soon as you’re done using them. This prevents the build-up of dirty dishes and makes cleaning less overwhelming.
• Wipe surfaces regularly: Keep kitchen surfaces clean by wiping them down with a disinfectant spray after preparing food. This helps prevent the spread of bacteria and keeps your kitchen tidy.

Organise your kitchen

• Store items properly: Keep your kitchen organised by storing food and utensils in designated places. Use containers to keep food fresh and prevent spills.
• Declutter: Regularly go through your kitchen and get rid of items you no longer need or use. A clutter-free kitchen is easier to clean and safer to cook in.

Maintaining hygiene

Proper food handling

• Wash your hands: Always wash your hands with soap and water before and after handling food, especially raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
• Separate raw and cooked foods: Use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw and cooked foods to avoid cross-contamination.

Refrigeration

• Store food correctly: Store perishable items in the refrigerator promptly and keep them at the correct temperature (below 5°C) to prevent bacterial growth.
• Label leftovers: Label leftovers with the date they were made and consume them within a safe period, usually 3-4 days.

Using cooking equipment safely

Knives

• Use the right knife: Use the appropriate knife for the task at hand to prevent accidents. Ensure knives are sharp, as dull knives can slip and cause injuries.
• Store knives safely: Store knives in a knife block or on a magnetic strip, not loose in a drawer.

Hot surfaces and liquids

• Handle with care: Use oven mitts or pot holders when handling hot pots, pans, and baking trays.
• Prevent spills: Keep pot handles turned inward and use lids to prevent hot spills and splatters.

General safety tips

Emergency preparation

• Know your exits: Familiarise yourself with the location of exits and any fire safety equipment in your accommodation.
• Fire alarms: Never disable or ignore smoke detectors and fire alarms. Report any issues with them immediately.

Cooking with others

• Communicate: If you’re sharing the kitchen with flatmates, communicate clearly about cooking times and cleaning schedules to avoid conflicts and ensure a clean, safe environment.
• Respect shared spaces: Clean up after yourself and respect communal kitchen spaces - don't be the housemate everyone has to clean up after!

Happy cooking!