CLEAN KITCHEN COUNTERS (AND MORE!) WITH KIDS: 10 TIPS

It’s a real challenge to keep a clean kitchen, and yet it’s so important. Germs are everywhere. These nasty little interlopers stow away microscopically on everything that you and the family bring home. Here’s where to find the germiest unseen bugs, and how to zap them.

1 Never put anything on the kitchen counter or table as you come in the door. These are forbidden zones. (These nasty interlopers stow away in your handbag or briefcase and hitchike home on raw meats and vegetables.)

2 Always take shoes off at the door and hang up coats and backpacks.

3 Eat only in the kitchen and dining room.

4 Always clean up behind yourself.

5 Always put dishes in the dishwasher, not the sink.

6 Wipe down counters after use.

7 Close cabinet doors that you open.

8 Ask to be excused from the table.

9 Ask before snacking or having dessert.

10 If you eat and can reach the counter, bus your own plate.