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Family enjoying a meal at the dinner table

Before mealtime

There are plenty of surfaces in your kitchen which need to be cleaned and disinfected before mealtimes, such as the countertops, the sink where you wash your hands or do the dishes, and the table where you’ll be eating.

Dirt and germs can easily build up around your home, especially in your kitchen. Making sure you have clean and disinfected kitchen counters and other surfaces before starting any food preparation means you won’t have to worry about dirt or harmful germs getting into your food, taking some of the stress out of preparing a meal.

Let’s take a look at how to clean your table, counters, sink and other surfaces to get your kitchen ready for mealtime:

Clean the countertops, sink and table

Firstly, you’ll need to clean up your kitchen counters and any other surfaces you’ll be using. This means dealing with any clutter as well as cleaning up any food spills and crumbs. Cleaning will remove any visible dirt and will also help reduce the number of germs in your kitchen, but it won’t kill them or get rid of them completely. For that, you’ll need a disinfectant.

However, it’s important to note that you have to clean your kitchen before using a disinfectant. This is because germs can easily build up and hide underneath dirt and grime. Some disinfectants can’t cut through the dirt, so if you use one before cleaning, it may not be able to kill as many germs, particularly those lurking underneath food residue.

Woman wiping kitchen counter

Disinfect your kitchen

Once all your surfaces are nice and clean, you can move on to disinfecting your kitchen sink, counters, and other hard non-porous surfaces. As mentioned above, make sure all your surfaces are pre-cleaned so the disinfectant can have the biggest impact.

Wondering how to disinfect kitchen surfaces quickly and effectively? With FamilyGuard™ Brand Disinfectant Cleaner, you can clean and disinfect your kitchen with just one product, letting you spend less time cleaning and more time on what matters.

This foaming formula is a cleaner and disinfectant in one, and as well as getting rid of dirt and grime on hard, non-porous surfaces, it’ll kill 99.9% of germs and viruses when used as directed.

To use this product as a cleaner, follow these simple steps:

  1. Spray surface until wet
  2. Let stand for 5 minutes
  3. Wipe and rinse with potable water*

Once your surfaces are dry, repeat the steps above to use as a disinfectant.

*Rinse with potable water when using FamilyGuard™ Brand cleaners and disinfectants on surfaces where kids and pets play or on food-contact surfaces.

Don’t forget other surfaces

As well as surfaces that are directly involved with food prep, like your countertops, we’d also recommend taking that time to clean and disinfect other kitchen items and hard, non-porous surfaces you might interact with while preparing a meal.

For example, if you feed your pets when you have lunch or dinner, make sure to clean, disinfect and rinse their food and water bowls and if you have young kids, don’t forget their high chair.


After mealtime

Cleaning and disinfecting after mealtimes is just as important as preparing your space before you eat.

Making cleaning up after mealtimes a habit will help keep your kitchen clean and reduce the number of harmful germs in your space. It might even mean there’s less work to do next time you start preparing food.

Let’s look at some tips for how to clean and disinfect your kitchen countertops and other surfaces after a meal:

Wash and clear away the dishes

First things first, you’ll need to clean and clear away any dirty dishes and cutlery left over from the meal. Make this job a bit more fun by getting the rest of family involved and sharing out the task. You could assign someone to wash up, someone to dry the dishes, and someone to put them away.

Image of child helping to clearing the table after meal

Wipe away any food residue

Next, it’s time to handle any mess left behind in the kitchen or on the table. From dealing with spilled sauces to throwing out vegetable peelings, you’ll need to clean your food prep areas as well as where you ate.

Disinfect kitchen counters and table

Lastly, you can disinfect your kitchen surfaces, ready for next time.

Our FamilyGuard™ Brand Disinfectant Spray is a versatile aerosol disinfectant that can be used to kill germs on a variety of hard, non-porous surfaces in your home, like your kitchen counters, table and sink.

For best results, follow these simple steps:

  1. Shake well before use
  2. Spray clean surface until wet
  3. Let stand for 5 minutes
  4. Wipe and rinse with potable water*

*Rinse with potable water when using FamilyGuard™ Brand cleaners and disinfectants on surfaces where kids and pets play or on food-contact surfaces.

This spray kills 99.9% of germs and viruses on hard, non-porous surfaces when used as directed, giving you peace of mind in the kitchen.

Kitchen counters, sinks, and tables are some of most high-traffic surfaces in the home, meaning germs and dirt can easily build up in these areas.

To keep your home clean and reduce germs, it’s essential to take some time to clean and disinfect the surfaces in your kitchen, especially before and after mealtimes.

Disinfecting should be the final step of each cleaning routine throughout your home but is especially important in your kitchen and after meal prep, cooking, or eating food. FamilyGuard™ Brand Disinfectants kill cold and flu viruses, so you can have peace of mind you’re helping to protect your family from germs.

Want to know more about how to keep your kitchen counters and surfaces clean and disinfected? Take a look at our aerosol and trigger disinfectants to find out more.