A guide for a squeaky-clean kitchen
A dirty kitchen can make your home look and smell bad. You could have spent a fortune on interior décor but if your kitchen isn’t clean, it will take away the whole wow effect of the entire space, especially since most homes these days have open kitchens that merge into the dining and living space. But cleaning your kitchen can be the stuff of nightmares. Also, you have to do it every single day. There’s just no getting away from it. But a few simple things can help ease the process. Here we tell you how.
Keep the countertops and sink empty
Countertops and the sink are places where things tend to gather in the kitchen. From used coffee cups and empty dishes to vegetable scraps and dishcloths, a lot of things are just there. You put dishes on the sink telling yourself you’ll get to them later but they inevitably pile up and create a mess. Get into the habit of cleaning your countertops and sink as you cook. Put away items you don’t need. Do dishes when you are finished using them and clean the sink with hot water and soap and wipe it down. The easiest way to keep your kitchen clean is to ensure your countertops and sink are devoid of clutter.
Learn waste management
Separate your dry and wet waste to reduce the bulk of trash as well as to ensure your bins don’t give out a foul smell. The garbage can harbor a lot of bacteria and lead to various communicable diseases. Invest in trash cans with proper lids. Ones that have rubber seals around the edges are perfect for disposing of wet waste like egg shells, banana peels, and other scraps. Even better, learn to compost or reuse scraps to make easy fertilizers. Learning how to manage your waste (and generate less of it if possible) can go a long way in maintaining the hygiene quotient of your kitchen and home.
Designate separate spaces for different things
Try to assign specific spaces for all your appliances and produce. This not only helps you store items effortlessly and also find them easily but you will be able to keep the space a lot cleaner this way. Try to keep kitchen equipment away from the cooking range so that oil splatters don’t get on them. Create separate zones for food containers, pots and pans, and cleaning supplies. You will be able to cook and clean much more efficiently this way. A neatly organized kitchen where there’s a place for everything and everything is in its place makes the space look aesthetic as well.
Invest in the right cleaning supplies
There’s nothing more nerve-wracking than trying to clean without the right cleaning tools. So have a bucket, mop, and rags handy under the sink. A spray bottle is a must in the kitchen. You can use this for almost any liquid product. Make sure you have vinegar and baking soda as you can clean the harshest of stains and splatters with just these two basic ingredients. Use kitchen napkins or rags so that you aren’t tearing off paper towels and throwing them away after one wipe. This helps you cut down on trash and make your cleaning routine sustainable. A really easy hack is to keep a basket of cloth pieces under your sink. These can be old handkerchiefs, bits of cloth torn from old t-shirts, and just about any other rag you have in the house.
Deep clean once a month
The kitchen must be cleaned every single day. You must wipe the counters and do the dishes on a daily basis. There are no two ways about that. But in addition to that, the kitchen is a space that needs some extra cleaning every once in a while. The fridge, oven, microwave, kettle etc. must be shown some care at least once a month. This gets rid of pesky odor and grime and also prolongs the life of your appliances. Mix some lemon oil with vinegar and water and heat it up in the microwave. The steam will make the grime slide right off. Then, take your sponge or rag and start to remove some of the leftover food, grease, or dirt to have your sparkling microwave back. Likewise, clean the oven and fridge with baking soda which is a great stain and odor remover.
Oli’s cabinet
KP Sharma Oli of CPN-UML was sworn in as the prime minister of Nepal at Sheetal Niwas, Kathmandu, on Monday. President Ramchandra Paudel administered the oath of office and secrecy to Oli, who has been elected the chief executive for the fourth time. The President also administered the oath to 21 members inducted into Oli’s cabinet. The cabinet comprises leaders from UML, Nepali Congress, Loktantrik Samajbadi Party and Janata Samajbadi Party.
- KP Sharma Oli, Prime Minister
- Prakash Man Singh, Urban Development
- Bishnu Prasad Paudel, Finance
- Prithvi Subba Gurung, Communications
- Ramesh Lekhak, Home
- Sharat Singh Bhandari, Labor
- Arzu Rana, Foreign Affairs
- Pradeep Yadav, Water Supply
- Balaram Adhikari, Land Management
- Damodar Bhandari, Industry
- Nawal Kishor Sah Sudi, Women, Children
- Devendra Dahal, Physical Infrastructure
- Tejulal Chaudhary, Youth
- Pradip Paudel, Health
- Ajay Kumar Chaurasiya, Law
- Badri Prasad Pandey, Culture, Tourism
- Ramnath Adhikari, Agriculture
- Bidhya Bhattarai, Education
- Manbir Rai, Defense
- Dipak Khadka, Energy
- Raj Kumar Gupta, Federal Affairs
- Ain Bahadur Shahi, Forest, Environment
Congratulations from int’l community
Narendra Modi, Indian Prime Minister
Look forward to working closely to further strengthen the deep bonds of friendship between our two countries and to further expand our mutually beneficial cooperation for the progress and prosperity of our peoples.
Dean R Thompson, US Ambassador to Nepal
We look forward to working with the new Government of Nepal to further strengthen our 77-year partnership.
Rob Fenn, British Ambassador to Nepal
We look forward to further strengthening our longstanding UK-Nepal relationship in the coming days.
Dismal representation
In Oli’s 22-member cabinet, there are only two women ministers and no Dalit ministers, though the Constitution mandates 33 percent representation of women and 13 percent representation of Dalits in all areas of the state.
Nine new faces
Out of the 21 appointed by Prime Minister Oli, nine became ministers for the first time: Arzu Rana, Pradip Paudel, Badri Pandey, Ramnath Adhikari, Ain Bahadur Shahi, Devendra Dahal, Bidya Bhattarai, Manbir Rai, and Raj Kumar Gupta.
Minister for the eighth time
Deputy Prime Minister Bishnu Paudel, who is also the Vice-chairperson of CPN-UML, has been appointed a minister for the eighth time. This marks his fifth term as Finance Minister and third stint as the deputy prime minister. His first appointment as minister was on 25 March 1997.
Urgent matters first
The newly-appointed Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Ramnath Adhikari, shelved a plan to assume office by organizing a program due to an ongoing strike. After taking the oath of office, the minister visited the ministry and listened to the demands of the agitating employees of the ministry. Then he asked the employees to give him “2-4 days to see what he can do about their demands”. The employees’ demands include the retention of permanent posts for 328 individuals currently in bridge positions within agricultural services unions, along with arrangements for regular filling of vacant positions.
First decisions
Cabinet
The inaugural meeting of the new cabinet has decided to upgrade the TU International Cricket Ground with full facilities, including spectator stands and floodlights for night games, all to be completed within 300 days. Additionally, the cabinet has approved providing relief akin to that for the deceased to families of individuals missing for 10 days due to disasters like floods and landslides. The government also decided to make the decisions of the cabinet meeting public only after 24 hours.
Home Affairs
Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has formed a task force to study the Simaltal bus accident. Led by Joint Secretary of the Home Ministry Chhabi Rijal, the panel includes representatives from three security agencies and one from the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport. The task force has 10 days to complete the investigation.
Urban Development
Minister for Urban Development Prakash Man Singh signed a file for the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs to amend the laws requiring self-declaration of non-foreign permanent residency in political appointments under the ministry’s departments and agencies.
Finance
Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel made his first decision related to conducting a study on identifying areas for development finance. He approved alternative financial procedures, making it easier to utilize blended finance, the Green Climate Fund, and other alternative financial resources, streamlining their acquisition and utilization processes.
Health and Population
Minister for Health and Population Pradeep Paudel has made the first decision to formulate a strategy for preventing cancer. Health Secretary Roshan Pokharel highlighted the rising number of cancer patients in Nepal, underscoring the need for a strategic approach to address this issue. Consequently, Minister Paudel approved the National Cancer Strategy (2024-2030).
Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation
Minister Balaram Adhikari signed two decisions: First, to send to the Law Ministry for the formation of a land registration committee for former Maharani Jhoda wards number 4 and 5 of Jhapa, and second, to approve the format for requesting instructions from agencies and departments under the Ministry.
Education, Science and Technology
Minister for Education, Science, and Technology Bidya Bhattarai formed a committee to study the integration of local agricultural products into the mid-day meals provided to students. She signed the decision to establish a committee tasked with developing a plan to connect the mid-day meals program, serving students from early childhood development up to the 5th grade, with locally-sourced agricultural products.
Foreign Affairs
Arzu Rana, Minister of Foreign Affairs, has decided to give continuity to the practice of sending congratulatory messages to the heads of state of friendly countries on their National Days, a practice observed during the monarchy.
Gold price hits new record at Rs 147, 800 per tola
The price of gold has increased by Rs 900 per tola in the domestic market on Tuesday.
According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 147, 800 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 146, 900 per tola on Monday.
Similarly, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 147, 100 per tola. It was traded at Rs 146, 200 per tola.
The price of silver, however, has decreased by Rs 10 and is being traded at Rs 1,875 per tola today.
Three children swept away by flooded stream found buried in Rukum Paschim
Three children swept away by a flooded stream have been found buried, while a person went missing.
The flooded Jhinchaur rivulet swept away some houses at Athbiskot Municipality-12 in Rukum Paschim district last night.
Those washed away by the flood were Hit Maya Pun (8), Dhanisha Pun (5) and Manisha Sarki (4). Similarly, 40-year-old Dilli Bahadur Budhathoki has gone missing, according to Rabi KC, Mayor of Athbiskot municipality.
Moreover, Bijay Sarki (10), Anisha Pun (22), Janak Khatri (29), Mansari Pun (65), Mexan Pun (4), Dhan Maya Pun (20) and Kalpana Kami (65) were injured in the flooding.
Mayor KC further informed that as three children were found buried, it was difficult to pull them out from the mudslide.
Efforts are on to take the injured ones to the municipal hospital at Radi.
Police personnel and locals are carrying out rescue operations.
PEN Nepal elects new committee
The annual general meeting of the Nepal chapter of PEN International, an international organization of writers, has concluded. The meeting, chaired by PEN Nepal President Ram Kumar Pandey, also elected a new working committee. According to the constitution of PEN, Bhishma Upreti has been elected as the president of the newly elected working committee, Hiranya Kumari Pathak as the Vice-president, and Mitrabandhu Poudel as the general secretary. Electoral Officers Shiromani Dawadi and Shushma Chitrakar awarded certificates to the elected officers, confirming their official status.
Senior writer and linguist Chunamani Bandhu, while addressing the formal session of the general meeting, emphasized that as PEN is an international organization, it is necessary to translate Nepali works to internationalize Nepali literature while maintaining its dignity. He also suggested being active institutionally to represent the entire Nepali literary world in the future.
On the same occasion, the book ‘Literary Leadership’ was released by Pandey, which reflects his extensive experience as the president of PEN Nepal and contains the activities, experiences, and insights from his tenure. He also passed proposals to reduce the term of PEN’s working committee from five years to three years, award annual prizes to English books based on Nepali literature, and revise the statute as needed.
Campaigners capacitated for effective CFLG implementation
The National Child Friendly Local Governance Forum (NCFLGF), in collaboration with Jagriti Child and Youth Concern Nepal (JCYCN), successfully concluded a four-day training of trainers on Child Friendly Local Governance (CFLG) and Nutrition Friendly Local Governance (NFLG). The training, held from July 8-11, aimed to enhance the competencies of CFLG campaigners from various parts of the country, providing them with the latest knowledge and skills in child-friendly and nutrition-friendly governance.
Inaugurating the training, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MOFAGA) said, “Our goal is to capacitate our partners and campaigners to drive real change in their communities.” He further said, “This training is a crucial step towards ensuring that child-friendly and nutrition-friendly governance becomes a reality at the local level.”
In his welcome speech, Tilottam Paudel, Strategic Advisor to the National CFLG Forum, emphasized the need to advance these campaigns and the importance of training like this in empowering campaigners. “Identifying and engaging with key stakeholders is crucial for the successful implementation of CFLG and NFLG initiatives,” he noted.
Uma Magar from World Vision International Nepal highlighted World Vision’s commitment to child welfare and their alignment with the CFLG initiative. She also showcased some successful projects and interventions supporting child development and protection.
Shiva Ranjan Poudyal from the National Planning Commission presented the context on MSNP and its linkages with SDG goals.
Lila Bikram Thapa, Head of the Nutrition Department at the Ministry of Health, delivered the presentation on fundamental nutrition, emphasizing the role of nutrition specialists and the integration of nutrition-focused practices into health institutions. Resham Kandel, Under Secretary of MoFAGA, presented on the steps and institutional structure of CFLG and NFLG. He highlighted the interconnectedness of these governance models and the importance of a coordinated approach. “Understanding the link between CFLG and NFLG is essential for maximizing our efforts and achieving sustainable outcomes,” Kandel mentioned.
Sujan Adhikari from Bhaktapur shared, “The training was crucial for empowering local levels, providing essential knowledge and skills for effective governance.”
Pooja Pokhrel added, “We’ve been actively involved in nutrition and CFLG, but merging these two is a new challenge. This training has given me deeper insights and tools to address this effectively.”
Namaraj Thapa from Dailekh emphasized, “We need to integrate these campaigns to ensure nutrition and impact reach every child, especially those in the Karnali region.” Participants were actively involved in group discussions, exploring the indicators of CFLG and NFLG, identifying necessary activities, and outlining collaboration strategies with various stakeholders.
During the training, Ashok Khanal, Coordinator of NCFLG Forum, facilitated sessions on Bal Bhela (child gatherings) using various interactive instruments designed to engage children. These tools included games, storytelling, and participatory activities aimed at making children feel involved and heard in governance processes.
Rasila Dhamala, Program Coordinator of the NCFLG Forum, noted that the NCFLG Forum was established in 2017 by former members of Child Clubs to promote Child Friendly Local Governance.
A total of 30 participants representing various working areas of WVIN, CFLG campaigners, and NCFLGF members attended the training conducted with the assistance of World Vision International Nepal (WVIN).
Ready to cooperate with India: PM Oli
Newly appointed Prime Minister KP Oli has said that he is ready to cooperate with neighboring country India.
Thanking his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, Prime Minister Oli said that he is committed to work together.
PM Oli took to social media and said: “I would like to thank you for the best wishes. I am ready to cooperate with you for mutual benefit and to strengthen Nepal-India relations. We can take the historic relationship to a new height.”
Earlier, Indian Prime Minister Modi had congratulated Oli on his appointment as the Prime Minister of Nepal.
The Indian Prime Minister had said that he was ready to work closely to further strengthen the friendship between the two countries.
He emphasized that the two countries should work together for the progress and prosperity of the people.
PM Oli assumes office
Newly appointed Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli assumed office today.
After taking the oath of office and secrecy, he visited Lainchaur to pay homage to the martyrs and headed to the CPN-UML’s party headquarters in Chyasal of Lalitpur.
The CPN-UML Chair Oli became the 45th Prime Minister with the support of Nepali Congress, the largest party in the Parliament.
In Chyasal, he laid a wreath at the portraits of founding leader of Nepal Communist Party, Pushpa Lal Shrestha, party's former Chair Man Mohan Adhikari and party's then General Secretary Madan Bhandari.
Then he reached Singha Durbar to assume office at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.
Officiating Chief Secretary Leeladevi Gadtaula, secretaries and the government senior officials welcomed the new Prime Minister.
According to his Secretariat, the decisions made on the very first day of taking charge of his office by the new Prime Minister would be unveiled soon.
President Paudel had on July 14 appointed CPN-UML Chair Oli as the Prime Minister in accordance with Article 76 (2) of the Constitution of Nepal.
