Here are ten top tips to put the spring into your kitchen this February

I really feel like February is the new January, as it can take a few weeks to wipe away the cobwebs after the Christmas holiday overindulgence, especially with all the leftover food and drinks in the house.

Here, nutritionist Laurann O’Reilly and owner of Nutrition By Laurann, brings us through her top tips for putting the spring into your kitchen this February.

The Treat Audit:
Whilst we’re allowed to treat ourselves over the holidays whilst spending time with family and friends as well as working hard all year. It’s very hard to get back on the health wagon with bumper packs of sweets and treats lying around the house.
Tip: If you’re really serious about making those health changes you can start with getting a black bag/box and removing any tempting treats from your house. After all if it’s not there you can’t have it. This allows you to control your environment and opt for healthy snacks instead. Also, rather than throwing out this food you could donate it to a food charity instead.

Clear Out The Food Cupboards:
Whilst this may seem like quite a chore, there’s such a feeling of satisfaction once you’ve completed this one. There are a number of benefits to this one as 1) It allows you to remove food that’s past its lifespan, 2) If foods are close to their best before dates, we can ensure that we use them up, which also helps to prevent food waste 3) It allows you to assess what foods are in your cupboard and potential ingredients for preparing delicious dishes as well as 4) Creating space for new ingredients.
Tip: Before popping your foods back in the cupboard, it’s good to give them a good scrub with hot soapy water and a disinfectant spray to remove any leftover foods and to keep your cupboards safe from bacteria (they love food after all).

The Refrigerator Scrub:
No doubt our fridges got well used over the holiday period, with all of those fabulous foods and leftover dishes. With that comes inevitable spillages. During the fridge clean you may again find some foods which are past their lifespan or that need to be used up soon too. From a food hygiene perspective and to keep you and your family safe, it’s always a good idea to remove all food and give the fridge a good clean and disinfect with a good spray regularly.

The Tupperware Audit:
If you’re a foodie like me, you probably have a huge collection of tupperware, such as lunchboxes and food containers that you never use, that can’t find the lids for (a bit like odd socks) and which are taking up valuable space in your kitchen. It’s also important to ensure that they are safe for storing your food.
Tip 1: I always recommend investing in good food storage containers, particularly ones that you use for storing hot leftover foods, which you use to reheat foods in the microwave or that you bring to school or work with you. This is because some of the cheaper storage boxes contain a harmful chemical called BPA which releases when the containers are exposed to heat.
Tip 2: I use the Sistema brand of tupperware containers, which are a good investment and can be safely washed or popped in the dishwasher after use. These can be purchased in most homeware stores or larger Tesco shopping centres.

The Oven:
I know, not the oven! Yes, this can oven be a big job requiring a bit of elbow grease but it’s absolutely worth it. It’s also quite important as it ensures that your food is safe to eat but also prevents a fire hazard from dried-on foods as well.
Tip 1: How To Make Natural Oven Cleaner (Baking Soda & Vinegar): 1) Mix baking soda with water to form a paste, 2) Apply to the problem (stuck on food) areas, 3) Spray it with white distilled vinegar, 4) Watch the mixture foam as it works and 5) Rinse with hot water
Tip 2: Safe Oven Cleaning: Always avoid abrasive cleaners and scrubbers as these can damage your oven, use microfibre cloths so you don't leave any lint behind and be careful not to damage the element in the oven also.

The Microwave:
For many the microwave is one of the most frequently used appliances in the kitchen. However, with everything that you heat up in your microwave, food, dirt, and grease accumulate over time, so it’s important to clean it after every use and give it a deep clean regularly.

Tip: A Natural Microwave Cleaner (Lemon): I love this one because As it heats up, the lemon juice and water will produce steam that will attach to the surrounding areas, cleaning your microwave. 1) Fill a microwave-safe bowl about halfway with water, 2) Take 1 lemon and cut it in half, 3) Squeeze half of the lemon into the bowl and place the other half of the lemon in the bowl with the water, 4) Put the bowl inside your microwave and turn on for 5 minutes and 5) Carefully remove the bowl from your microwave and wipe the surface with a paper towel or microfibre cloth.

Cleaning Work Surfaces:
Naturally this should be done on a regular basis and always before and after the preparation of food and spillages but it can help to give these an extra good scrub too. This includes your splash back (the wall behind your stove) too.
Tip: A Natural Surface Cleaner (White Vinegar): As white vinegar is made from acetic acid and water, it's not only a power cleaner, but it easily cuts through grease, removes mildew, odours and stains. Due to its high acidity, white vinegar reduces surface bacteria. Howeverit’s important to use a good disinfectant spray as well as it may not leave your surfaces totally bacteria free.

The Forgotten Parts:
When we think about the areas where we touch or place food, we often think of the counters, ovens, cookers, fridges and so on but what about the forgotten parts that we touch? These include door handles and light switches. Remember to clean these down frequently with a disinfectant spray.

The Bins:
Urgh, this isn’t a job that anyone likes but it’s a good idea to disinfect your bins on a regular basis. As much as we try to line our bins with the thickest bin bags possible, they are never thick enough and we’re often left with a collection of icky bin juice (which bacteria love). This is not only important for hygiene but it helps to remove any funky smells from your kitchen too.

Add Some Natural Scents:
If you burn candles or you like your kitchen to smell nice, burning or diffusing essential oils works a treat. Some essential oils also have antibacterial properties too. When added to vodka or a solution of soap and water, some essential oils can also act as cleaning agents, whilst also helping rid your home of mould and musty smells.
Tip: Some of these essential oils include tea tree, citronella, geranium, lemongrass and orange. I quite like the orange and lemongrass scents myself as they’re quite uplifting.