A cluttered kitchen can contribute to increased stress and reduced motivation. If you’re wondering which items should never be stored in your kitchen cabinets, you’re in the right spot. Here’s a helpful guide on everything you should avoid putting away in your cabinets for an organized and stress-free kitchen space:
Cleaning Supplies and Chemicals
When it comes to your kitchen cabinets, there are certain items that you should never store there. Cleaning supplies and chemicals are two of these items. It’s essential that you keep all these potentially dangerous substances away from food and out of the reach of children. Here’s a list of common cleaning products and chemicals and where you should store them instead:
- Cleaning Products
- Bleach: Store in the utility or laundry room
- Household cleaners: Keep under the sink or in a closed cabinet in a different room
- Ammonia-based cleaners: Store outside your home
- Chemicals
- Oven cleaner: Keep outside your home
- Rust remover (such as Naval Jelly): Keep outside your home
- Drain unclogging agents (such as Drano or Liquid Plumber): Store under the sink or in a closed cabinet in another room
When it comes to storing items in your kitchen cabinets, it’s always a good idea to consult with a local kitchen cabinet provider for recommendations on best practices and safety guidelines.
Items With Strong Odors
When deciding what to store in your kitchen cabinets, be sure to leave out any items that contain a distinct odor. Items such as onions, garlic, fish, and certain spices should never be kept in a kitchen cabinet as their strong odors can easily permeate other food items stored in the cabinet. Strong odors from these types of items can also linger and transfer onto other surfaces and objects in your kitchen.
Items with strong odors should instead be stored in an airtight container or plastic bag and kept in the refrigerator or pantry. This will help keep the smell contained within the container and help prevent it from affecting other areas of your kitchen. Additionally, transferring these pungent foods into such a container will provide extra protection for them from potential pests such as rodents or insects that may try to enter your home looking for food.
Foods That Attract Pests
Storing certain foods improperly or keeping them too long can lead to an infestation of pests. To avoid this, it is important to be aware of which foods attract pests and store them accordingly.
Foods that attract pests include:
- Sugar and other starchy foods
- Grains such as rice, bread, and cereal
- Fruits and vegetables
- Nuts and seeds
- Pet food
- Oil products like cooking oil, peanut butter, and mayonnaise
- Jams, jellies, and honey
These items should be stored in sealed containers or heat-sealed storage bags to keep out pests. Not all organisms can penetrate these barriers – but those that can are often well-adjusted to the task. Pests like weevils, moths, ants, cockroaches, mice, and rats favor these types of food sources because they contain lots of calories essential for their survival.
Flammable and Combustible Products
It is extremely important to store all flammable and combustible materials in a separate, secure location. These products can become a serious fire hazard in the kitchen if proper storage precautions are not taken.
Flammable liquids and combustible materials such as nail polish remover, paint thinners, gasoline, matches, and paint cans with opened cans should never be stored in kitchen cabinets for any period of time. These materials should be stored in an external shed or garage away from flammable sources.
In addition to these immediate hazardous materials, things like aerosol sprays can create a fire hazard as well. Aerosol sprays have a tendency to collect dust or other small particles over time which could prove dangerous in a confined space like the kitchen cabinet.
Medicine and Personal Care Products
It is important to be aware of the potential dangers that can come with storing medicine and personal care products in your kitchen cabinets. Even if drugs and products are kept in their original containers, there is still a risk of contamination if they are stored in these humid, warm environments.
Many medicines have specific storage requirements that outline an appropriate temperature range and humidity level – both of which can be affected by improper placement in the kitchen. Long-term exposure to heat or extreme cold could compromise the integrity of certain drugs, leading to a decrease in efficacy or expiration before their labeled date. To reduce the risk of contamination and potentially harmful side effects related to improper storage, any medication or product should not be kept in your kitchen cabinets.
The same precaution should also be taken with items such as maxi pads, tampons, incontinence products, and feminine hygiene products. These items are particularly prone to the growth of microorganisms when mishandled which can lead to spoilage or mold growth if improperly stored for a long period of time.
To further avoid cross-contamination from airborne bacteria and dust particles present within the kitchen environment, it is best practice to store these personal care items elsewhere such as the bathroom or bedroom closet shelf where the temperatures are consistently cooler than that found within a kitchen cabinet.
Books and Paper Products
While it may seem like a great idea to store books and other paper products in your kitchen cabinets, they can quickly become a contributing factor to pest infestations. Paper products provide a great environment for cockroaches and many mites, giving them the perfect moisture levels to nest in and reproduce. This can lead to infestations that are difficult (and costly) to eliminate.
In addition, kitchen cabinets are especially prone to mold growth due to their constantly humid conditions, and paper products can act as particularly absorbent sponges for water and humidity.
Another problem with storing books in kitchen cabinets is poor hygiene – moisture and heat can promote the growth of bacteria on the surfaces of these items. Keeping commonly used items like dishes and utensils separate from these items is highly recommended in order to prevent contamination from dust or germs.
Electronics
It may be tempting to use kitchen cabinets to store your electronics, as they are often spacious and conveniently located. However, cabinet storage can cause some serious damage to these items due to harsh temperature changes, moisture, and pests.
Your kitchen’s heat and humidity levels fluctuate greatly when you open and close the cabinets for meals or when the oven or dishwasher runs. Extreme temperatures and high humidity can cause electronic components to overheat, corrode or create a build-up of dust from condensation. This may reduce the quality of your electronics and their lifespan. To add to this risk, moisture in your kitchen cabinets can also act as an ideal breeding ground for mold or bacteria which can be dangerous if ingested or inhaled.
Lastly, it is important not to store food in the same cabinet as electronics since critters like rodents and insects are attracted by food particles on electrical components. These small pests can cause irreparable damage to wires and other sensitive parts in your electronics that could be harmful to regular use.
Open Containers of Food or Beverages
Open containers that contain food or drinks should never be kept in the cupboards of a kitchen. Not only does this create a food safety hazard, but it can also cause odor, attract pests, and contaminate other food items with airborne viruses and bacteria. To protect against germs and contamination, make sure that all food is safely stored in sealed storage containers with tight-fitting lids.
It’s also important to make sure that beverages are stocked away in bottles or cans and tightly covered so as to not attract flies or insects. Both counter height areas and lower tier cupboard shelves should be watched closely to ensure proper sealing of open container products at all times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What items should not be stored in kitchen cabinets?
Items such as cleaning supplies, paint, aerosol cans, gasoline, propane tanks, and matches should never be stored in kitchen cabinets.
Are there any foods that should not be stored in kitchen cabinets?
Yes, food items such as onions, potatoes, garlic, and herbs should not be stored in a kitchen cabinet as air circulation is not ideal for these items.
Is it okay to store cereals and other dry goods in kitchen cabinets?
Yes, it is generally okay to store cereals and other dry goods in kitchen cabinets, as long as they are properly sealed and away from any moisture or heat sources.
Conclusion
Organizing your kitchen cabinets and understanding which items should not be stored in them can help to ensure that your cooking experience remains safe and efficient. By taking the time to identify, discard, and properly store any flammable, poisonous, or otherwise unsafe items found in kitchen cabinets, you can create a more organized and secure environment in which to work.
Furthermore, making sure that all food products are tightly sealed and stored away from moisture, pests, and direct sunlight can help to maintain their freshness, extend the usable life cycles of perishables, and save space and money.
Taking away these simple steps in preparation for safe meals can be that missing piece between an efficient eatery and a hazardous home. Be informed of the potential risks posed by improperly storing food or combustible materials within cabinets so that they not only support the organization of the kitchen but more importantly its safety.
