If you cook at home, chances are your kitchen appliances tend to get pretty dirty. Unless you are obsessed with achieving a Monica Geller level clean, appliances often fall off the end of most people’s cleaning lists. However, they are probably one of the most important things to clean since you use them to prepare and store food.
Here we offer 14 kitchen appliance cleaning hacks to keep your appliances food-safe.
1. Miraculous microwave cleaning hack
Microwaves are notorious for exploding overflows. Since it is so easy to cause something to explode or overflow in the microwave, you might not even notice a crusty or greasy buildup on the inside top of this time saving device. However, you can make short work of even the crustiest messes with this easy method:
- Fill a medium microwave safe bowl with a cup of water and 4 tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice. For extra messy jobs use a teaspoon of liquid dish detergent.
- Place the bowl in the microwave and set it for about two minutes.
- Allow the water to steam, but keep an eye on it so it doesn’t boil.
- If it does start to boil, stop the timer.
- Let the bowl sit in the microwave for another few minutes allowing the steam to loosen the grease and crust.
- Open the microwave, remove the bowl and use a clean cloth to remove the goop.
If anything is still stuck, you can use the water solution to damp the cloth and wipe away the mess.
2. Clean that microwave plate
A good rule of thumb to keep your microwave plate clean is to give it a wipe after every use. It just takes a second and it will remove any drips or drops of condensation from the container.
3. Clean milk and beverage containers
Before placing milk cartons and other beverage containers back in the fridge, wipe them down with a paper towel. This will reduce the buildup of old milk and sticky juice drips from the spout.
4. Clean the fridge when it’s getting empty
To avoid the hassle of taking food out of the fridge to clean, watch for opportunities when your fridge is running low. A good time to do it is prior to grocery shopping so you can also clean out all the expired foods and know what needs replacing.
5. Take out fridge shelves and drawers
Even glass shelves should be removable. The best clean requires you to get the shelves and drawers out so you can soak them in the sink and get at them with a safe cleaning solution and warm water. For stains, try using an ammonia solution with 1 part ammonia and 5 parts water and leave the shelf to soak for a while. Let them air dry.
6. Make sure to wipe down fridge walls
While your shelves and drawers air dry, use hot water with liquid dishwashing soap and a clean cloth to wipe down the inside walls and base of your fridge.
7. Use baking soda or coffee grounds
Once you put everything back in the fridge, place an open box of baking soda or an open jar of ground coffee at the back of one of the shelves. This will help keep the fridge smelling fresh.
8. Get rid of veggie smells
Veggie drawers can produce unpleasant smells even when the produce is fresh. A good hack here is to crumple up a paper bag or sheet of newspaper and place it in the drawer to help absorb the damp.
9. Use vinegar to clean the dishwasher
This hack can be done about once a month. It helps remove food from the pipes as well as cleaning all the walls and racks. Take a cup of white vinegar and pour it into a dishwasher- safe container. Place that container on the upper rack and then allow the dishwasher to cycle through the hot water setting. This will help remove odours and clean the system out.
10. Baking soda paste for stove tops
If you have a glass stove top you know how frustrating it can be to keep it clean. An excellent hack is to make your own DIY cleaner using baking soda and vinegar or lemon juice. Add a few drops of vinegar to a spoonful or two of baking powder to create the paste. Then apply the paste to the areas that need a good scrub. Let it sit for about 15 or 20 minutes and then scrub it off. Rinse with soap and water and you should be pleased with the results.
11. Handy vinegar spritzer
Take a proactive approach to keeping your stove clean by keeping a mix of vinegar and water in a spray bottle nearby. When you’re done cooking, spritz the stove top and wipe it clean. This avoids those crusty chunks from getting stuck on the surface.
12. Greasy gunk hack
For a grease free stove, sprinkle the top with baking soda in greasy areas and drizzle a small drop of hydrogen peroxide on it. Let it fizz and then lift the greasy mess off with a spatula.
13. Stainless steel smears
You love those stainless steel appliances but hate trying to keep them clean. They are constantly covered in finger smears and many cleaning products just make it worse. However, this DIY cleaning product is found in almost every kitchen: olive oil.
First, dry your appliances with a clean cotton cloth and then dip the cloth in a bit of olive oil. Rub the cloth over the steel surface paying attention to the grain. You want to follow the grain as you wipe to get the best results. Be sure not to use too much and your appliances will gleam.
14. Kettle cleaning hack
The inside of your kettle can get pretty dirty thanks to mineral buildup from water. A natural cleaning trick is to fill your kettle to the ¾ mark half vinegar and half water and let it soak for an hour. Bring the kettle to the boil, then dump the mixture out. Give it a good rinse and you’re good to go.
If you want to find out more about cleaning kitchen appliances, and general condo cleaning, call Maid4Condos at 647-822-0601 or contact us here.
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