3 Ways to Make Your Kitchen a Green One
Is your kitchen one of the messiest places in your house? From dirty dishes in the sink to overflowing garbage bins, bad hygiene can make the kitchen unfit for cooking food. A dirty kitchen is also the best thriving ground for germs, insects, bugs and pests that can spread diseases. Due to improper ventilation, you may also find moldy growth on floors or walls.
To avoid such issues, most people are adopting the idea of a green kitchen because not only does it help keep the space clean, but it also helps decrease the environmental footprint. Below, we have shed light on the three best ways to make your kitchen a clean, hygienic and eco-friendly space.
How To Create a Green Kitchen
Use reusable and sustainable products
We often use plastic bottles for drinks, disposable plastic plates for serving food and plastic packets and containers to store food items despite knowing that single-use plastic is bad for the environment. Single-use plastic releases harmful chemicals like BPA that contaminate your food, making it unhealthy to consume. So, you should use reusable or sustainable products as an alternative in your kitchen such as:
- Instead of using plastic coasters, use cork coasters that are durable
- Get some transparent glass or steel containers to store spices, crackers, pulses and cereals, snacks and other food items
- Replace plastic bottles with reusable PET or glass bottles for storing water
- Use stainless steel or wooden cookware because it won’t contaminate your food with harmful chemicals
Create a kitchen garden
One of the surefire ways to make a green kitchen is by creating a garden. Plants make any area more vibrant, lively and refreshing. You won’t feel tired or sleepy while cooking, owing to the bright green leaves and fragrances from herbs, flowers and fruits. There are many ways to create a kitchen garden based on sunlight direction and ventilation. So, while planning, choose appropriate places where the plants will get the required amount of sunlight, oxygen and moisture for healthy growth. Below are some ideas you can try out for a kitchen garden:
- Create a vertical kitchen garden with herbs like rosemary, basil, lemongrass, peppermint, parsley and mint on a side wall.
- If you have an open kitchen with an island counter, you can easily grow fruit or vegetable plants, like oranges, lemons, olives, figs and cherries.
- Grow herbs in small mason jars and place them on a countertop rack. Ensure its shelves are at an appropriate distance so that they don’t hamper the growth of the plants.
Revamp garbage and waste section
Use reusable storage bags to reduce your plastic usage and carbon footprint. This is one of the most eco-friendly solutions to easily turn your kitchen into a green one. All you need to do is place three different bins for non-biodegradable, biodegradable and recyclable waste. You can make compost with different kinds of organic waste, like vegetable and fruit peels, pulses and meat by-products.
You should also bring home natural and sustainable cleaning products to keep your kitchen countertop, utensils and floors clean. You can also make a cleaning solution at home by mixing water, lime and lemon slices with a bit of vinegar. It is quite effective in removing grease and stains from sinks, counters and even non-stick utensils.
What Are the Benefits of a Green Kitchen?
- A green kitchen is eco-friendly and improves air quality.
- With plants in your kitchen, you won’t feel suffocated.
- If you choose energy-efficient kitchen appliances, your overall utility costs will reduce.
Final Words
Going green is not a fad anymore; it has become a lifestyle. Setting up a green kitchen is not rocket science, and people are rapidly turning to this approach to creating a sustainable environment. We hope our tips help you keep your kitchen hygienic and lead a healthy lifestyle.