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4 Things To Know About Keeping Mould & Pests From Spoiling Your Food

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Organising

4 Things To Know About Keeping Mould & Pests From Spoiling Your Food

Storing your food properly in the pantry will ensure they’re preserved for longer – here’s how keep mould and pests away

April 16, 2021

When it comes to the kitchen pantry, there’s nothing worse than reaching for a jar of oats and instead finding it crawling with weevils and other pests. To help you keep your pantry safe, here’s how to protect your food from insects and mould.

We all know that some foods fare better in the pantry than in the fridge, but just how much better? Ensuring that you store your pantry staples in the, well, pantry, will ensure you maximise the lifespan of your dry goods as much as possible.

Whether you’re working with your regular kitchen pantry or your butler’s pantry, be sure to store your food in clean and air-tight containers – not only will your food thank you for it, but your pantry will look fantastic too!

The key guidelines to to keeping your pantry pest free are simple: cleanliness, organisation and, above all, good storage.Here’s how to protect your food from moths and mould…

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https://www.womensweekly.com.sg/gallery/style/organising/keeping-mould-bugs-from-spoiling-your-food/
4 Things To Know About Keeping Mould & Pests From Spoiling Your Food
Clear your pantry
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Firstly, check all your packaged and stored food in both the fridge and pantry for infestation. You can tell if the food is infested if the packaging has small holes; there is webbing in the corners; some of the food is clumped and held together with a sticky substance; or most obviously, if there are bugs in the food, or flying about your pantry!
At this point you must throw away all the infested food and then get down to cleaning your pantry.
It’s a good idea to take everything out, vacuum the area and then give it a good scrub with hot, soapy water.
Watch out for cans or jars that may have traces of infestation on the surface and wash and dry these thoroughly as well.
Make sure the pantry is dry and clean before you begin to restock.
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Food storage
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Before restocking the pantry, make sure you put all vulnerable foodstuffs in airtight and sturdy containers) that have been washed and are made of metal, glass or plastic.
Avoid plastic bags as bugs can chew through them. Put a couple of those sticky moth traps in the pantry just for peace of mind.
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Removing mould
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Mould can be one of the most obvious signs of food degradation and contamination. Despite this. there seems to be some debate on whether it is safe to remove a piece of mould from food and eat the rest.
While some believe simple chopping and removing the mould affected area is sufficient, the truth is the rest of the food is affected – even if you can’t see it.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, the mould isn’t just on the surface.
When a food shows heavy mould growth, ‘root’ threads have invaded it deeply. In dangerous moulds, poisonous substances are often contained in and around these threads. In some cases, toxins may have spread throughout the food.
And mould is tricky as well. While it thrives in warm and humid conditions, it also grows in the fridge and is more tolerant of salt and sugars than other invaders.
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Clean the cleaners
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Again, cleanliness is vital in controlling mould as the spores from affected food can build up in your fridge, on dishcloths and other cleaning items.
The US Department of Agriculture recommends you clean the inside of your fridge every few months with one tablespoonful of baking soda dissolved in four cupfuls of water. Rinse with clear water and dry.
Keep dishcloths, tea towels, sponges, and mops clean and fresh; a musty smell means they’re spreading mould around.
Throw away anything you can’t clean or launder and keep the humidity level in your house below 40 per cent.
Text: Homes To Love

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  • TAGS:
  • clean fridge
  • cleaning tips
  • food pantry
  • home ideas
  • mould
  • pest prevention
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