Popular chef and food safety advocate Chef T has stirred conversations online after sharing a powerful Facebook reel addressing common but dangerous kitchen habits many people have normalized. According to her, your kitchen routine is a direct reflection of your discipline, hygiene standards, and health consciousness.

From food safety mistakes to cluttered cooking spaces, Chef T highlights habits that should no longer exist in any modern kitchen.

Below is a breakdown of the unacceptable kitchen habits Chef T says must be thrown away this year and why they matter.

1. Keeping Dirty Dishes Overnight

Chef T strongly connects washing plates to discipline.

Leaving dirty dishes in the sink overnight:

Encourages bacteria growth

Attracts insects and rodents

Creates unpleasant smells

Promotes laziness in kitchen routines.

A disciplined kitchen practice is washing dishes immediately after eating. Waking up to a clean kitchen sets the tone for a productive day.

2. Hoarding Cookware for Years

Holding on to damaged or unused cookware clutters your kitchen and affects efficiency.

According to Chef T, cookware that has been unused for years:

Takes up valuable space

Makes cleaning harder

Adds to visual and mental clutter

If a pot or pan has no functional or sentimental value, throw it away and reclaim your space.

3. Keeping Food in the Freezer for Months

Your freezer is not a storage warehouse.

Food kept for months without proper labeling or purpose:

Loses nutritional valueRisks freezer burn

May become unsafe to eat.

Chef T advises that such food should be thrown away or given out. A healthy kitchen requires regular food rotation.

4. Not Sweeping and Mopping the Kitchen Daily

The kitchen is not just another room. It’s a food zone.

Failing to sweep and mop daily:

Allows dirt and bacteria to accumulate

Attracts pests

Compromises hygiene

Even if you cook lightly, crumbs, spills, and oil droplets accumulate. A daily clean is non-negotiable.

5. Stacking Disposable Plates for Years

Disposable plates are meant to be temporary, not permanent storage items.

Keeping them for years:Takes up valuable space

Encourages wasteful habits

Often results in expired or brittle materials.

If you haven’t used them in a long time, give them out or discard them. Your kitchen deserves intentional tools, not leftovers of convenience.

6. Using One Chopping Board for Everything

This is one of the most dangerous habits on the list.Using the same chopping board for: Raw meat, seafood, vegetables …leads to cross-contamination, which can cause serious food poisoning.

Best practice:

Separate boards for raw meat, seafood, and vegetables

Colour-code them if possible

Clean cooking is safe cooking.

7. Tasting Food with the Same Cooking Spoon

This habit may seem small, but it’s highly unhygienic.

Using one spoon to:

Stir food

Taste it by putting it directly into your mouth

Return it to the pot…introduces bacteria from your mouth into the food.

Always use a separate tasting spoon and never double-dip.

8. Using the Same Sponge for Over a Month

Kitchen sponges are bacteria magnets.

Using one sponge for too long:

Harbours germs

Spreads bacteria across surfaces

Gives a false sense of cleanliness

Change your sponge every 2–4 weeks, or sanitize it regularly. A dirty sponge defeats the purpose of cleaning.

Chef T’s message goes beyond cleanliness. It’s about intentional living. Your kitchen reflects your mindset, your health consciousness, and your personal discipline.

This year, don’t just declutter your kitchen. Upgrade your habits.

Clean spaces create clear minds and safe meals.

Which of these are you guilty of and which habit will you change this year?