With the Mail online recently revealing that the average kitchen worktop is no cleaner than toilet seats, it is clear that cleaning standards in the kitchen could be much improved. It is vital that worktops are kept clean in the light of the reports findings, which also states that 85percent of public toilets were cleaner than domestic food preparation areas but how do you keep the bacteria at bay if your kitchen worktop is a wooden one? It is recommended that worktops in general are cleaned regularly with a disinfectant that will kill bacteria build-up. A good, natural disinfectant, which will not harm your solid wood worktop, can be made up using simple store cupboard ingredients. This solution will clean your worktop effectively, whilst protecting it, providing it has been well-oiled with a food-safe oil. Put 2 cups of water, half a cup of white vinegar and a tablespoon of washing up liquid into a spray bottle and apply a light misting to your worktop. Then wipe the solution off with a damp cloth and dry the worktop thoroughly. This procedure, carried out regularly, will protect your worktop as well as your family.