Aprons serve a wide array of purposes, which are not limited to only personal settings. Even if you are a professional chef, you need an apron for several reasons. However, if you are not aware of everything you need to know about keeping your apron clean, here is a complete guide.
The Purpose Behind Wearing an Apron
If you have ever been to a restaurant for any meal or gone to purchase food, you must have seen workers in aprons of all kinds. Similarly, if there is someone in your family who loves cooking, then you may have witnessed them donning on an apron before they step into the kitchen and get started on their favorite hobby. You may have seen an apron so much that you may no longer pay any attention to it.
With that said, are you aware of the primary reason why professional chefs and common people wear aprons? Here are some of the reasons.
1. Ensuring the cleanliness of clothes
When handling food, and especially cooking, there is a possibility that you may accidentally spill something on yourself. Perhaps the ingredients could potentially leave stains on your clothes. For example, you must have noticed the mess you make when you use flour. It gets all over the kitchen counter and any other surface nearby.
Therefore, you will not want to get your clothes messy, especially if you are wearing nice ones. An apron ensures that you do not ruin your clothes by way of stains and spills.
2. Wiping off hands
You wash your hands before you step into the kitchen, but as soon as you cross the threshold, the thought leaves your mind. While cooking or baking, you may keep a dish towel nearby or just wipe off your hands on your clothes. Though it seems harmless, the latter could leave stains on your clothes, especially if you are working with spices, sugar, flour, or a liquid.
More to the point, the entire act is quite unsanitary. Think about where you have been and just how germ-ridden your clothes could be. For example, you may have been doing some yard work, cleaned the bathroom that day, or cuddled a pet causing their germs to transfer onto your clothes.
Consequently, when you use your clothes to dry your hands, the germs on your clothes could easily make their way into the food. However, if you put on a clean apron before you enter the kitchen, you will not have to keep a dish towel handy or wipe off your hands on your clothes.
3. Saving your food from cross-contamination
As aforementioned, your clothes could carry various hidden pathogens, even if you believe that they are fully clean. If you do not put an apron on before cooking or baking, there is a possibility that your ingredients and clothes will come in contact.
Think about what would happen if your hand made its way across one of the dishes on the counter or on the stove to pick something up. What if there is a bowl full of soup or a pot full of gravy brewing, and the edge of your shirt dips into it? Well, dander, dust, and even pet hair could make their way into your food and contaminate it! But if you wear an apron, your soup and gravy will be safe from all the germs on your shirt.
4. Providing convenience through pockets
While you work in a kitchen, whether at home or in any kind of restaurant, you may have to carry a couple of tools with you. But you cannot possibly hope to keep holding on to the things you need as you move about cooking or baking. This is where an apron comes in.
All aprons have pockets in them, which allow you to keep several things in them. You can choose to carry a towel, gloves, or whatever it is that you may need. Thus, an apron provides convenience as you do not have to move back and forth inside your kitchen to get what you need.
5. Valued for sentimental and psychological reasons
Aprons primarily fulfill this purpose if you are someone who usually cooks and bakes at home. If you wear an apron that you connect to because a loved one wore it, it may help you pour your heart and soul into whatever it is that you are whipping up. Though this reason may not be important for many, it is held in high regard by some.
6. Used as a gift
An apron could serve as an excellent choice for a gift if you have someone in your life who has a passion for cooking or works in the field. It is not only practical but sentimental as well, thus, making it the right gift for your loved one.
Why Should an Apron Be Removed Before Using the Bathroom?
Aprons are not supposed to be on your person when you leave the kitchen, much less go to the restroom. As mentioned above, one of the purposes of this is to ensure that no germs are transferred from your clothes onto your food.
A bathroom is a special place where germs and bacteria breed. When you leave the sanitary kitchen, it is of high importance that you consider everything that could happen to your apron there.
Therefore, if you keep your apron on when you go to the washroom, you risk carrying germs from there to your kitchen. Consequently, it will defeat the entire purpose of wearing an apron at all. With that, it is important to remember to take off your apron before leaving the kitchen.
Can an Apron Be Washed in the Washing Machine?
It goes without saying, but it is important to ensure that your apron is clean at all times. Hence, it is recommended that you wash it regularly, depending on the number of times in a day you are using it and how dirty it gets. However, before washing your apron, you need to confirm whether or not it can be washed in a washing machine.
While most aprons are deemed to be machine washable, the answer to whether or not they can be washed in a machine is dependent upon the fabric used. Make sure that you read the tag on the apron, which details its washing instructions before you toss it into the machine.
For decades, aprons have been worn by people in restaurants and home kitchens as a way of protecting users, as well as the food. Their cleanliness must be ensured at all times to prevent any cross-contamination and maintain overall hygiene.
Final Thoughts
An apron is something that everyone needs to have in their home. It can serve multiple purposes, and its main purpose of preventing contamination is just one of them. With all the benefits of wearing an apron, it makes sense for anyone who spends time cooking or baking to know how to look after it properly.
Frequently Asked Questions Related to Aprons
Q: How Can You Clean an Apron?
A: Before you wash your apron, it is important to first check the tag on the apron to ensure that it can be machine washed. Check for any spots or stains and treat them accordingly before washing the apron. Ensure that the water temperature does is high enough to kill any bacteria on the apron.
Q: How Often Should an Apron Be Washed?
A: It is recommended that you wash your apron, depending on the number of times in a day you are using it and how dirty it gets. However, before washing your apron, you need to confirm whether or not it can be washed in a machine. For decades, aprons have been worn by people in restaurants and home kitchens as a way of protecting users, as well as the food. Their cleanliness must be ensured at all times to prevent any cross-contamination and maintain overall hygiene.
Q: Do you need to be a chef or can anyone wear an apron?
A: In short, an apron is not specific for chefs alone. It can be worn by anyone who spends time in the kitchen, including those from restaurants and home kitchens as well. Even if you are not working inside or cooking food, it still serves the purpose to protect your clothes from any possible mess.
