Spring is always the ideal time to clean house. The holiday season and all the chaos it brings has passed, and nothing is better than throwing open the windows to let the fresh spring air and sunlight into your clean house.
But a lot of people seem to struggle with cleaning a kitchen. That’s because it’s usually the most used room in the house, and very easy to get dirty.
Luckily, we’ve put together a handy list of nine kitchen cleaning tips that are sure to kickstart your spring cleaning rush. Read on for more information!
1. Clean Your Oven
The oven is one of the easiest kitchen appliances to allow to get dirty. After all, we use it constantly, and it’s got a self-cleaning function, right?
Well, if you’ve ever tried to use the self-cleaning function, you know that the smell and fire detector alarm isn’t usually worth it. There are easier kitchen cleaning tips.
Instead, mix up a solution of 1/3 water, white vinegar, and baking soda in a spray bottle. Remove your oven racks (we’ll cover those in a second), and spray your solution liberally, coating the entire inside of your oven.
You can leave this overnight to soak, without even turning the oven on. After 12 hours, wipe down the inside and watch the grime and grease disappear!
2. Oven Rack Hacks
Instead of scrubbing and scratching up your oven racks, restore their original luster with a common household ingredient: powdered laundry detergent. This is one of the simplest kitchen cleaning tips but works wonders!
Fill the bathtub with enough hot water to cover your racks, then mix in a cup (more or less depending on how much water) of laundry detergent.
Allow your racks to soak for about six hours, then give them a wipe-down and rinse. They should be as good as new!
3. Disposal Deep Clean
Does your garbage disposal smell a little funky? Even if you regularly run water down it, little bits of food still get stuck up inside the gears and can eventually start to smell.
You will need three simple ingredients for this kitchen cleaning tip. Make ice cubes out of lemon juice, rock salt, and water.
When you put these ice cubes through the disposal, the rock salt and ice will act as an abrasive, breaking up grime, and the lemon will freshen the smell of the disposal.
4. More Lemon Uses
If your kitchen has a funky smell that you just can’t seem to get rid of, lemons seem to be a miracle ingredient.
Use a fork to poke holes in a lemon, and set it inside the oven with the door cracked at 300 degrees. You can also boil lemons on the stovetop.
The essential oils from the lemon will diffuse into the air and freshen your kitchen.
5. Clean Up Crumbs
If you haven’t cleaned out your pantry or cabinets in a while, you probably have noticed a lot of food and condiment crumbs building up.
Instead of taking everything off the shelves and wiping them down (while you’re welcome to do that, as well), use the brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner.
This will suck up dust and crumbs easily and quickly, without also sucking up your food along with it.
6. Oil For Cleaning?
Believe it or not, a lot of common kitchen oils can actually be pretty useful for cleaning purposes.
Range hoods and sinks seem to be magnets for food particles and greasy stains.
Using olive oil or vegetable oil, you can quickly wipe these grease stains away, and the oil also serves as a protectant against further stains. Refresh occasionally to make future cleanup a breeze.
7. Anti-Splatter Tea
If you’re tired of having to scrub pasta sauce splatters off of your stove and backsplash, you can actually use tea to make cleanup easier.
The tannins in tea work as a repellant for grease and food stains. Boil 4 teabags (darker tea like earl grey or Lipton, not herbal or green tea). Wipe the tea over the stove surface before cooking.
Any grease or splatters that make their way onto your stove will be repelled instead of sticking and staining, making cleaning up as simple as wiping with a cloth.
8. Dishwasher Grime Cleaner
Over time, the water, food waste, and detergents in your dishwasher will cause ugly (and sometimes smelly) buildups to occur.
These buildups can even decrease the efficiency and lifespan of your dishwasher, so it’s best to stay on top of them.
Believe it or not, the powdered Tang drink mix actually works miracles at cleaning out your dishwasher.
Run a full container of Tang through a dishwasher cycle (with no dishes inside). It will remove the scaly buildup and improve your dishwasher’s performance.
9. Stainless Steel Cleaners
Don’t waste money on expensive stainless steel cleaners. While stainless steel seems to be a magnet for grease and fingerprints, chances are you already have ingredients lying around that will do the job.
The first is white vinegar, which seems to be one of the best kitchen cleaning tips in general. It will clean stainless steel easily and leave it streak-free.
Vodka is another surprising alternative. Since its an alcohol, it will evaporate quickly, leaving no streaks behind. As an added bonus, it’s also anti-bacterial (just don’t let your kids lick your appliances afterward).
Bonus Kitchen Cleaning Tips: All-Purpose Kitchen Cleaner Recipe
If you’re looking to ditch harsh chemicals but still clean your kitchen safely and efficiently, there are several natural ingredients that make for a great all-purpose cleaner.
Mix orange peels and white vinegar into a sealable container such as a mason jar. Leave it to soak for a couple of weeks, which will infuse the vinegar with orange essential oils.
Mix some of the vinegar diffusion with water into a spray bottle, and you’ve got a powerful and fresh-smelling kitchen cleaner!
When To Hire A Professional
If you have a busy lifestyle, need more kitchen cleaning tips, or your kitchen has just gotten too out of hand, don’t be afraid to call in a professional.
The Cleaning Advantage offers a wide range of cleaning options to fit your needs, so contact us today to schedule an appointment!
