Kitchen cleaning is about the least favorite things anyone wants to do, but since this is one of the most important areas of any home, it’s important to keep it clean. That said, the kitchen is also one of the toughest to keep looking neat. Here are some kitchen cleaning tips that will help reduce the clutter and keep everything clean.
Basic Fundamentals
Toss out foods in the pantry and refrigerator that are expired.
If you want to use a sponge to clean with instead of paper towels, be sure to have several different sponges to use on individual tasks. This helps eliminate spreading germs. Toss them in the dishwasher when finished to get them sterilized.
Use mild cleaners and wear gloves. Baking soda is an excellent scrubbing compound.
Cleaning The Stove
One of the best ways to keep your stove/range clean is by wiping up spills as they happen. Don’t wait until the spill has hardened and has to be chiseled off.
Glass cook tops should be cleaned with water and a sponge or damp rag. Using abrasive cleaners will lead to scratches.
For electric burners you should wipe off with a damp sponge. Grates can be cleaned with a sponge or paper towels as well.
Cleaning The Oven
Most ovens today are self-cleaning and make cleanup much easier. Simply take out the oven racks and run the cleaning cycle. Racks can be soaked in soapy water for an hour or two, depending on how dirty they are.
After the self-cleaning cycle is complete, wipe the oven out with a damp rag.
Cleaning The Refrigerator
Your refrigerator is one of the biggest kitchen cleaning jobs, but it can be done rather quickly if you keep out-of-date foods and unwanted items from cluttering inside.
Set out all items from inside your fridge.
Mix together 1/4 cup tablespoons of baking soda and about 1 quart of water. Use a rag and wipe the walls and grates. Dry with a separate towel.
At least once a year be sure to turn your refrigerator around and vacuum/clean the coils.
Quick Tips
If you have a pan with burned-on food, pour a cup or two of water, a little dish soap, and boil it. After it cools you will easily wipe out the burned food.
You can quickly clean a microwave oven by taking a glass bowel and adding 2 cups water, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and microwaving on high for 3 minutes. Let the bowel cool and wipe out the microwave. This kitchen cleaning tip works no matter how dirty your microwave is.
Eliminate garbage disposal smells by tossing a couple of lemon slices into the unit and letting it run through.
Wash and dry kitchen knives by hand. Never run them through the dishwasher.
Clean kitchen sink drains with 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup white vinegar. Let this mixture sit for 5 minutes and flush with a pot of boiling water. It not only helps deodorize, but it also helps your drain stay open.
You can find many more excellent kitchen cleaning tips by going to the Speed Cleaning Blueprint
