Cleaning your kitchen should not be a long and tedious task. If you plan ahead, tackling the worktops, fridge, dishwasher, sink, and oven can seem like child’s play. Here are our ideas on a few clever kitchen cleaning hacks that may save you a lot of time and effort. The result can leave you with a lot more time in the day than you might have expected.
Kitchen Worktops
The easiest way to tackle your kitchen worktops is to clean each one as you go. Yes, some surfaces are harder to clean than others are.
Wooden worktops are particularly difficult to clean. This can be especially true when you spill caustic liquids like tea, coffee, citrus juice, or vinegar. Wooden surfaces that get wet often are especially prone to damage. Always soak up as much of the spill as fast as possible. Wipe them down with hot, soapy water and, if you’re worried about germs, use an all-purpose kitchen cleaner that contains a disinfectant. Then, dry with a clean cloth or paper towels.
It’s easy to get stainless steel worktops covered with finger marks or to scratch them when you use almost anything sharp. Rub a dab of cooking oil over the entire work surface using a lint-free cloth. You can also rinse it off with some warm, soapy water and then dry completely to make it shine almost like new.
Stainless steel worktops are usually covered with finger marks or suffer light scratches from just about anything sharp. Rub a dab of cooking oil over the entire work surface using a lint-free cloth. You can also rinse it off with some warm, soapy water and then dry completely to make it shine almost like new.
To clean stone and synthetic marble worktops, you can usually wipe them down with a little hot, soapy water. Or, often, use an all-purpose kitchen cleaner that contains disinfectant. Just take a clean cloth or paper towels and buff the service down. Don’t use any commercial kitchen cleaner without first checking the instructions or you might may damage the surface.
Getting Ovens Clean
Unless you have a self-cleaning oven, the easiest way to take care of the inside of your oven can be easy with baking soda. Shake out one or two spoonfuls of baking soda and mix it with water to form a paste. Then, spread it over any areas of your oven where there’s grease or clumps of burnt food that won’t come off.
Then, leave the areas alone for a few minutes until saturated. Scrape the paste off with a plastic kitchen spatula to avoid scraping the surface. Keep an old towel underneath the oven to catch anything that falls. If necessary, spray the paste with some water to make it easier to remove. Then, rinse thoroughly with a damp cloth and leave the door open until everything dries out.
Clean Your Gas Burners
Here’s a trick to remove all the grease and gunk from your gas burners. Take sealable plastic bags, like freezer bags, and put each burner into a bag. Put on rubber gloves and add about four tablespoons of ammonia to the inside of the bag. Then, seal each bag and place each one on a baking tray. Put the bags away somewhere they won’t be disturbed, like in a closet or outside the house. About a day later, use rubber gloves again and remove the burners. Then, run each one under warm tap water to rinse all the ammonia off and they should look like new again.
Steam Cleaning Your Microwave
The interior of your microwave can get covered with all kinds of splatters and getting it clean can be a royal chore. Of course, the best way to do it is right after the splattering occurs, which is probably when you have the least amount of time to do it. So you don’t think about it until a few days later after it’s had time to bake into chunks that are almost impossible to remove.
Our suggestion today is to cut up a couple of lemons and dump them into a bowl of water. Then, heat the bowl in your microwave for 4-5 minutes until the steam starts to cover the window. Repeat zapping the bowl another couple of minutes, and then open the door and remove the bowl. (Be sure to use gloves or a towel to keep from burning yourself.) and the sides will wipe clean in a jiffy with a damp rag. Use a little soapy water to get rid of any extra grease, and your microwave will turn out sparkling clean. An added bonus is that your kitchen will have a nice lemony fragrance too.
Quickly Clean the Fridge
Cleaning your refrigerator can seem to take half the day, so here’s how to make it as easy and quick as possible. Remove all food from the fridge and store it safely so it won’t go bad. Wipe everything down with a clean cloth, and be sure to toss away anything that has expired or is no longer worth keeping.
Place some towels on a table and pull out the shelves and drawers and lay each one on the towels. Mix up a solution of white vinegar and water and spray the inside of the refrigerator and let it soak for a few minutes. Meanwhile, go back and wash the shelves and drawers with soap and water, rinse off each one, and lay it back on the towels to dry.
Return to the fridge and wipe the inside with a soft, damp cloth and close the door so it will dry. Then go back and get the shelves and drawers, slide the back into the fridge, and then put everything back into the refrigerator.
Getting your Cheese Grater Clean
Cheese graters are notorious for hanging onto tiny pieces of whatever you’ve used them for to grind down. Here’s a great method for getting them cleaner than ever! Instead of cutting yourself on the sharp edges or ruining a good sponge or brush, cut a trusty lemon in half and rub it over the grate a few times. It will loosen any suck-on food particles and leave the grater sparkling clean. Rinse and let the grater dry until you need to use it again.
If you live in the Chicago metro area and are interested in learning more about our home cleaning services, and how we can help you maintain a safe and healthy living environment, please give us a call. Our number is 708-599-7000. Or, contact us online and we’ll give you a free house or office cleaning consultation.
