Spring Clean Your Kitchen to Prevent Food Poisoning and Save Money

Spring cleaning your kitchen isn't just about washing the windows and cleaning the oven. This is the time to delve into that scary drawer where all of the seldom-used cooking utensils are. When is the last time you checked the expiration date on your spices? The rattle in your refrigerator could be an easy fix now or an expensive bill later.

Make a plan of attack to reduce the clutter in your kitchen, save money and prevent food poisoning.

Take a food inventory
One thing I'm great about is rotating our food and keeping on top of expiration dates. I'm horrible about not realizing I already have something and buying another package. Generally, a shelf-stable item should remain safe to eat after its expiration date even if the quality has suffered. Any cans that are bulging or dented should be thrown away. Dried spices and herbs have an opened shelf life of about a year.

Divide your inventory into two sections and list the items closest to expiration at the top. When organizing your pantry, put those things within easy reach so you can use them quickly. The bottom of the list should be items you have stockpiled. While it's hard for a budget shopper to ignore canned tomatoes for 50 cents, if you have more in your cupboard than you can use in six weeks, bypass the next sale.

Sanitize your food storage areas
While you have everything out of the cupboards is a perfect time to brush out the dust and wipe down everything with a simple bleach solution. You should also do this in the cabinets where you keep your dishes, glasses and cookware as well as the utensil drawers. Mix one teaspoon bleach with one gallon of water and keep in a spray bottle to regularly disinfect your counters.

Is it necessary?
While I'm of the firm belief there is no such thing as too many silicon spatulas, two kitchen-gadget geeks create a lot of unused clutter. When is the last time you used that spare tea kettle? If an item has only one purpose such as a garlic press, sharpen your knives and practice mincing the garlic on a cutting board.

Behind the refrigerator
It's easy to remember to clean the refrigerator inside and out. But did you pull the fridge away from the wall? Dust can gather on the coils in the back making the appliance work harder than it has to, costing you money. Use a soft brush or even a vacuum cleaner to give those overworked coils a break. Don't forget to clean the condensation tray at the bottom - gunk can build up in there creating the perfect breeding ground for bacteria.

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