How Detoxing Your Kitchen Can Improve Your Health
Even when your kitchen looks spotless to the naked eye, it can still house many harmful elements that can have a negative effect on your health and the health of those in your home. There are steps that you can take to further improve the cleanliness of your kitchen beyond what is seen at first glance. Cabinets For most kitchens, the cabinets that adorn the walls and the undersides of worktops are often made of MDF and plywood. Although they provide a nice appearance for your kitchen and do not cost a lot to install, they are fixed together with glue that contains a large amount of formaldehyde. Over time, this glue releases gas that can be harmful to the environment and yourself. Consider repainting them if they are old, or if you are thinking about buying new cabinets, enquire as to how they were made so you can avoid formaldehyde based glue. Stoves/Hobs Despite being a vital element of your kitchen, certain stoves can be something of a pollutant to your kitchen. Gas hobs, when left on for a longer period of time, can produce quite significant amounts of carbon monoxide. A tip to avoid such levels of this gas is to keep the hob flames burning blue – if they are burning yellow, this means the gas is fully combusted and therefore more is being released into the room. Pots and Pans Non stick pots and pans contain a polymer called PTFE. This, like the aforementioned formaldehyde glue can release harmful toxins into the air, especially when you are cooking on a high heat. The polymer is going to be slowly phased out by manufacturers, but until we can be sure that non-stick cookware is PTFE-free, try and cook on the lowest possible heat to limit the release of these toxins. Worktops The bacteria that is collected on your worktops during cooking can often go unnoticed and escape even the most thorough of cleaning sessions. However, recent developments in manufacturing have seen the creation of antibacterial worktops – namely Silestone’s bacteriostatic surfaces. These surfaces provide active protection from bacteria at all times. Here at Touchstone Worktops, we are proud to supply the finest kitchen and bathroom worktops from leading manufacturers. If you would like to know more about what we do, please feel free to get in touch with us today and we’ll be happy to help.