A country kitchen may appear a far more relaxed place in which to cook and entertain, but a fitted kitchen is infinitely easier to keep clean. There are easy-to-wipe surfaces, no hidden nooks and crannies and no cracks to harbour dropped food. Whichever style you opt for, it is essential to keep a kitchen scrupulously clean as it is a potential breeding ground for germs. You will probably also want to equip it with the latest in modern appliances. Unfortunately, the more technology you have, the more there is to go wrong; so make sure you look after appliances correctly. The better you maintain equipment, the longer it lasts.
Hygiene
Check food cupboards and your fridge regularly to see that food expiry dates, including those on dry goods, have not passed. Wipe greasy and sticky bottles with detergent solution.
Work surfaces
In a fitted kitchen the work surfaces may well be plastic laminate, which is easy to keep clean as long as you wipe up spills at once. Stains can be removed with a non-abrasive cream or white spirit. Do not use a laminated surface as a cutting board.
Teak, maple or mahogany work surfaces should be rubbed in the direction of the grain with linseed oil roughly every six months. Very hot pots can burn wooden surfaces, so treat them with care. Your food prep cutting surface should be scrubbed thoroughly. Do not soak them or dry them near the heat or they may warp and become unusable.
Electrical appliances
The element in your electric kettle must always be covered with water before you turn the kettle on (but do not overfill or you may blow a fuse). In hard-water areas place a marble or a piece of loofah in the kettle to keep it from furring up, or use filtered water. If the furring is not yet too bad, add lemon juice to the water in the kettle and boil, repeating with fresh solutions until the scale has disappeared.
Every now and again remove the crumbs of bread from inside your electric toaster by turning it upside down or unscrewing the bottom, making sure you have first unplugged it. Never try to remove crumbs or a piece of toast from the toaster with a metal object while the toaster is switched on.
Electric mixers and blenders should not be run for too long at a time or the motor may burn out.
Regularly dismantle and clean, or replace, the filter of your extractor fan and wipe the fan blades with a damp cloth. Never let water come into contact with the motor: switch off and unplug the fan before cleaning it. Make sure it is dry before turning it on.
