29 Basic Home Kitchen Safety Tips That Really Work

kitchen safety tips for women

Updates: 07/11/2024

The kitchen is a dangerous place. You work with not only hot surfaces, boiling liquid, and also handle with utensil and sharp knives which could injure you in a moment. Thus, this article will give you basic home kitchen safety tips, helping you stay safely in the kitchen.

29 Top Basic Home Kitchen Safety Tips

I. Kitchen Safety Tips Associated With Accidents

1. Dress For The Occasion

kitchen safety tips for seniorsClosed-toe shoes, sturdy can be vital to protect your feet from boiling liquid and the falling knife. Also, they can defend your own lower back from the pain when chopping for a long period of time. It is better for you to wear natural fiber and avoid synthetic clothing as it might melt onto the skin as on fire. Even, loose clothing could tempt a flame. Thus, you should also pay attention to your clothes. Because the air in your kitchen is hot, so you had better wear long sleeves in order to protect the forearms from suffering from burned as you reach into the oven.

See: nutrition tips for better health and a list of super foods.

2. Keep Your Children And Pets Out

In fact, children as well as pets should not be in the kitchen. If the children help you or learn how to cook, it is better for you to keep them out of the dangerous area. Kids and pets, actually, could be a distraction and even hurt themselves in potential ways. Once you want to teach your kids how to cook certain dish, then make sure that you start with some simple recipes which do not involve in a lot of heat, cutting, or appliances. Keep in mind that you do not keep your baby or child when cooking. Moreover, it is essential for you to teach your kids not to play in the kitchen. Instead, they should respect it.

In other words, you should not leave your kids alone in the kitchen. Ovens, knives, hot pots, hot liquids, and electrical appliances are all potential dangers.

If you want to keep your house organized, here are some useful tips for tidy house.

3. Do Not Rush

When it comes to kitchen safety tips, you should avoid rushing around the kitchen. Rushing around the kitchen might lead to accidents. If you are not a pro, you had better cut food slowly, do not run from station to station, and keep yourself slow when moving from hot pans and pots. Trying to save some minutes here just increases the risk of injuries.

Also, never bake or cook if you are under the influence of medications and alcohol, or are extremely sleepy.

4. Use Hot Pads

kitchen safety tips for restaurantsUse good hot pads for any pot, bowl, or pan that has been in a certain appliance. It is critical for you to use these items on the bowls pulled out of the microwave oven. In fact, even the microwave-safe bowls could get hot and burn yourself easily.  In case that an oven mitt or hot pad gets wet, then let it dry before using it. A wet pad will transit heat easily.

If you are looking for good quality hot pads on the market, you should choose Potholder.

5. Learn How To Use Knives Properly

Though it seems so simple, yet you need to learn how to use a knife and also treat them with respect. Keep your knives always sharp. A dull knife will slip and cut. Besides, you should learn how to slice or chop, holding the food with the non-dominant hand while your fingers are curled under. Just practice slowly until you are really confident.

To discover other useful kitchen safety tips, Kitchen Safety is the best guide you should read.

6. Understand Your Appliances And Handle Them Appropriately

Before using any appliance, you had better read the instructions carefully. Do not use a certain appliance which has a frayed cord and try keeping small appliances dry and away from water. Do not use your own fingers to release something caught in food process mixers or blades.

You need to pay attention to the blades on your food blenders and processors. They could be sharp and could cut you if you accidentally brush against them.

Before cleaning any appliance, you should let them cool. Do not make use of an appliance for the purpose for which it was not created.

7. Know Your Limits When Lifting

When lifting a hot pot of boiling pasta, you are dealing with one of the most dangerous of kitchen techniques. You can choose a pasta cooker which contains a strainer inserted into the larger pot. You only lift the pasta out of the water for draining it rather than moving a heavy pot of boiling water from the stove to sink.

kitchen safety tips guide

Know your limits and use your knees as well as back when lifting. If necessary, you should ask for help to transfer or move something heavy.

8. Turn Off Appliances Before Leaving

You had better turn off and unplug cooking appliances before leaving out your kitchen. Also, do not leave an oven or store on or with the door open for room heat.

9. Keep Electrical Appliances Away From Water

It is essential for you to keep your electrical appliances away from getting closed to water in order to avoid shocks. Keep yourself stay away from electrical sockets, particularly if the hands are wet. Teach your children that they absolutely should not put their fingers or hands anywhere near the sockets.

10. Pay Attention To Steam

kitchen safety tips for babiesSteam could burn as easily as a hot burner or boiling liquid. Be carefully around microwaved foods or foods which have been cooked in the packets. Just open the packages away from the face and use hot pads. When lifting the cover off a boiling pot, you should pull the cover towards your body in order to avoid burning your hand with steam.

11. Keep Anything Which May Catch On Fire Away From The Stovetop

In reality, oven mitts, pot holders, wooden utensils, plastic bags, towels, food packaging should be well kept a safe distance from the stovetop. Also, you had better not wear scarf or tie as they can ignite over a flame.

12. Check Your Smoke Alarms

It is critical for you to make sure that your smoke alarms are functional. Set up your smoke alarm which is at least 10 feet away from the kitchen and use the test button to test it every month. Remember to replace the battery at least once a year and never disable a smoke alarm.

To discover other useful kitchen safety tips, Kitchen Safety is the best guide you should read.

13. Do Not Leave Food Unattended

Never leave your kitchen when food is baking or cooking, except for you are using a slow cooker. If there are kids or pets in the house, ensure an adult is in the kitchen all times. Accidents might happen in a second.

To have more ideas for cooking, see nutrition tips to detoxify your body.

14. Keep A First Aid In Your Kitchen

It is good idea for you to keep a first aid kit in the bathroom and in the kitchen as well, ensure that your kitchen is stocked with modern equipment, containing burn salve, gauze, scissors, the phone number of nearby hospitals or your doctors.

If you are looking for a good quality first aid kit on the market, you should choose First Aid Kit With Hard Case.

15. Turn The Dials Of Gas Stove Off

kitchen safety tips for thanksgivingIf you have a gas stove, it is absolutely for you to turn the dials firmly to its off position. In case that they are easy to remove, remember to do so as not cooking in order to keep your children from turning the stove on. If they could not be removed easily, make use of the child-resistant knob covers and block the entrance to the stove as much as you could.

16. Stop, Drop And Roll

It is better for you to learn how to deal with accidents. Learn fire and personal safety. You and your family members should know the tips of “stop, drop, and roll” in case that the clothing catches on fire. Ensure that you cover your face with your hands while rolling over and over, or back and forth, so you can put out the fire.

17. Deal With Microwave Or Oven Fire

When an oven or microwave fire, you should turn off that appliance and keep the door closed. Then, unplug the microwave when you could reach the outlet. Avoid using the appliance again until it is absolutely safe.

18. Resolve A Burn

kitchen safety tips reviewOnce you get a small burn, then instantly put the affected area into cool water for about 5 minutes. In case that the burned area is larger than a fist, then you should ask help right away.

Discover: list of herbs and spices to heal injuries

19. Prepare A Fire Escape Plan

The next one in the list of basic kitchen safety tips here is planning a detailed plan for potential accidents in the kitchen. To plan for accidents in the kitchen, you should keep the telephone number of the fire department on your telephone. You should sit down with your family members and have a fire escape plan which contains getting out of the house and gathering outside in an intended area. It is essential that your own family, particularly your children know what need to do before the fire happens. Remember to practice each month.

For well organized home you can refer tips to decorate your house effectively.

20. Put A Childproof Lock

By putting childproof locks on cabinets with medicines, cleaning supplies, even your oven, you can stop your young child playing with these things, getting cleaning chemicals on skin, or have accidents with knives or hot oven.

Read on: Home Organization Tips

21. Never Suddenly Pouring Water Into A Pan Containing Hot Oil

never suddenly pouring water into a pan containing hot oil

In fact, when getting hot temperature from the flame and oil, water can make cooking oil spatter or burn one staying near that pan.

22. Store Cleaning Chemicals And Supplies Properly

You should find a safe place to store cleaning supplies and chemicals. It is recommended using safety latches.

To discover other useful kitchen safety tips, Kitchen Safety is the best guide you should read.

23. Clean The Kitchen And Check All Devices

As I mentioned above, you need pot holders to prevent burning. But after cooking, remember to put them away from the stove. Similarly, after your cooking has been finished, put dish towels, and some other things such as candles, matches, lighter far from the stove. Ideally, you can keep them in high places where kids with their curious hands cannot reach them.

Also, check curtains and furniture to be sure that they aren’t blocking vents or heaters.

Beside things that are easy to catch on fire, you need to keep the kitchen clean without children’s toys or other items.

clean the kitchen and check all devices

24. Clean Up Water Spills

Plus, remember to clean up water spills immediately as wet floors are slippery when they are wet and you can fall down in the kitchen when cooking.

II. Kitchen Safety Tips Associated With Foods

Most people pay attention to prevent kitchen accidents caused by electrical appliances, fire, sharp knives, but they forget that there are other dangers from food safety in the kitchen. The following are some basic kitchen safety tips related to foods and hygiene that you should consider.

1. Don’t Taste Raw Foods

don’t taste raw foods

Make sure that your kids don’t put their hands or lick their fingers in their mouths when they are handling foods. These are important things to know as raw foods such as meat or cookie dough may contain some dangerous bacteria or disease transmissions.

Recommended reading:  Rocky Body Raw Food

2. Use Different Cutting Boards For Cooked Foods And Raw Foods

Never put cooked foods on a cutting board that is used for raw food cutting. In addition, you should not put cooked foods on unwashed plates, too.

3. Keep Foods In The Refrigerator

keep foods in the refrigerator

Put raw foods that are easy to spoil such as meats or dairy products in the refrigerator immediately after using them and don’t store foods too long though the refrigerator works well.

4. Wash Hands In Soapy Water Before & After Handing Foods

As a basic rule that parents and teachers teach children, remember to wash hands before and after eating time, particularly when handing raw meats. Then, use a towel to dry your hands. If dish towels touch raw meats or juice from raw meats, you should quickly remove the towels for laundering. Then, clean counter tops and the sink or any areas which the raw meats and the juices could have touched.

wash hands in soapy water before & after handing foods

5. Cover Your Nose And Mouth For Coughs Or Sneezes

When you are in the kitchen or anywhere, if you are coughing or sneezing, quickly cover your nose and mouth and get away from foods. Then, wash your hands right after a sneeze or a cough.

Keep in mind these 29 basic home kitchen safety tips and you can maintain safety in your kitchen effectively. If you are interested in this topic, feel free to share your own tips with us at the end of this post of basic kitchen safety tips.

We appreciate your contribution and will respond all soon!

To discover other useful kitchen safety tips, Kitchen Safety is the best guide you should read.

Want More Content Like This In Your Inbox?

Join The Discussion

JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Comments JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Advertising Disclosure

Displayed content is offered by businesses which have been compensated. There is a potential effect on how, what, and where products may appear. All effort is made into providing full transparency, not all available products or companies are highlighted. Published material is offered without any slant or bias no matter what affiliation there is with sponsorship or association.