Kitchen Cleaning Hacks: Tips to  Deep Clean Your Kitchen

Imagine walking into a spotless kitchen - a blank kitchen counter to accommodate your amateur baking essentials, a grime-free stovetop waiting for you to try out an ambitious recipe, and a sparkly sink that reflects your face. Sounds pretty amazing, doesn’t it? Well, with our expert kitchen cleaning tips, attaining a tidy kitchen will no longer be a distant dream. Check out these clever hacks and turn the heart of your home into an organised and smooth sailing space.

Cleaning Tips for Kitchen

1. Create a Routine

Many things in life are governed by the adage, “Consistency is key.” So is a pristine kitchen! To keep your kitchen clean and running smoothly, create a daily, weekly, or monthly routine.

2. Clear the Clutter

When it doubt, throw it out! Everything from plastic bags stored in your cupboard to mismatched jars and lids that you rarely use should be cleared out.

3. Floor Treatment

When cleaning your kitchen floor, you must maintain one cardinal order - sweep first and then mop. That is, unless, you want to end up with a muddy floor and track the dirt everywhere in your house. Doesn’t sound very appealing, does it? We thought so. 

4. Scrub the Grout

In the grand scheme of things, sometimes the little details get lost. And if there’s one thing you’re bound to overlook, it’s the grout lines that have amassed between your backsplash or floor tiles.

Use a pasty mixture of baking soda and water to remove stubborn stains. Apply it with a thin-bristled brush. Thank us later!

5. Be Quick to Wash Kitchen Tools

Sometimes it’s hard to shrug off the lethargy. You know, the lunch box that sits in your backpack despite countless reminders from your mom…well, take it out already. But a neat kitchen will require some effort.

Certain kitchen tools like cheese graters, tea strainers, and colanders are best cleaned immediately after use. This way, you won’t have to put up with the tedious task of scraping off dried-on bits.

6. Disinfect Your Sink

Here’s some trivia: the average kitchen sink is dirtier than a bathroom. A trusty sink brush with a flexible build is perfect for a nightly scrub-down. Follow it up with 2-3 spritzes from a surface disinfectant bottle, and you’re good to go!

7. Pay Heed to Small Appliances

Cleaning your appliances as you go along your day bodes better for the long run. A gentle wipe-down of your microwave’s turn table or your toaster’s crumb tray will prevent heaps of residue from amassing. 

8. Take Out the Trash at Night

A clean kitchen’s kryptonite? A dirty trash can that sits overnight. Break the habit of letting the trash go unemptied because it’s not “full enough.” Even if it’s a few vegetable scraps, make it a point to clear out the bin.

9. Prioritise What’s in Your Cabinets

Overstuffed cabinets are a total bummer, especially if you have to fumble through piles of dishes before reaching the item you need. Eliminate this struggle with slide-out cabinets, placing your most-frequented essentials in the most accessible compartments. This will help streamline your cooking process.

10. Welcome Your Kitchen’s Best Friend: Baking Soda

From greasy pots and pans to tiles and countertops, baking soda is a true saviour. When combined with hydrogen peroxide, it turns into a force to be reckoned with! Whether to remove limescale from a kettle or to get rid of burnt residue from the bottom of your precious cookware, nothing gets past this heavy-duty mixture.

11. Wash Kitchen Linen

Another commonly overlooked component of your kitchen is your handy kitchen linen. Be it kitchen towels, aprons, or dishcloths - they accumulate a lot of bacteria. Cleaning them twice a week with a gentle detergent is recommended. For stubborn stains, consider treating the affected area with a stain remover.

12. Clean Your Range Hood

Your kitchen range hood is a grease magnet, and also one of the most difficult spots to clean. Sitting right above your stovetop and being on the receiving end of splatters and grime, your range hood is one space that needs a lot of attention. But seldom does the dirt on a range hood budge. But it’s nothing a 1:1 vinegar-water solution can’t fix!

Deep Cleaning Kitchen Appliances

Fridge

Being one of the most used kitchen appliances, your fridge requires a lot of attention. With these easy cleaning tips, you will have yourself a sparkly refrigerator to yourself in no time!

1. Start by turning off your fridge and emptying the contents. Thoroughly inspect your perishables and get rid of anything remotely suspicious.

2. You can then pull out the drawers and shelves to have access to the interior walls.

3. Create a solution of dish soap and water, pour it into a spray bottle, and apply it everywhere on the interior. Make sure to hit all the grooves as well.

4. Let everything sit for a while before getting back to it.

Snag this super cool spray bottle from Nestasia today:

5. Douse your shelves and drawers in the same solution and gently wipe with a damp microfibre cloth.

6. The reliable solution can be used to clean the exterior as well.

7. Just face it - when left uncleaned, your gasket looks worse off than Chernobyl’s reactor 4. But it’s nothing a 1:1 vinegar-water mixture cannot handle. Load your trusty spritzer bottle and unleash! Wipe down the seams with Q-tips and you’re good to go!

8. Last but not least, clean under your refrigerator. Unplug the refrigerator, move it away from the wall, and take your time mopping the floor with an all-purpose cleaner and water. Wipe dry and reposition your refrigerator.

Dirt and grime won't stand in a chance in front of this cool multipurpose cleaning brush: 

Microwave

Let’s move on to the microwave - a frequented appliance that’s privy to all your experimental mug cakes and late-night cravings. Let’s shower some love and keep it in good shape, shall we?

1. Cleaning the inside of a microwave is a breeze. All you have to do is combine water and a few drops of lime juice in a microwave-safe bowl.

2. Place it inside and crank up the heat to bring the mixture to a boil. The steam will help loosen up all that nasty grime, and stubborn splatters, and get rid of unpleasant odours. 

3. After the timer goes off, carefully remove the bowl. Use oven mitts cause it will get hot!

4. You can then use a soft cloth to wipe down the ceiling, walls, and turntable. If the stains on your turntable still won’t budge, take it out and soak it in sudsy lukewarm water for about 30 minutes.

5. For the door, use a dampened cloth dipped in some baking soda. Don’t miss the edges and the handle.

6. Cleaning the microwave filter at least once a month is mandatory, given that this component catches grease. Take a large container and fill it with soapy lukewarm water. Submerge the filter in the water and let it sit for 30-40 mins. Consider adding a few teaspoons of baking soda for stubborn residue.

7. The exterior of the microwave can be cleaned with a simple all-purpose cleaner and a slightly damp microfibre cloth.

Stovetop 

Stovetop - where all your culinary creations come together in a symphony of rich aromas and tantalising flavours. Whether you’re a passionate home cook or the occasional craft mac and cheese chef, your stovetop sees a lot of action. Follow these steps for a squeaky clean crud-free stovetop:

1. Start by disassembling the components of your stovetop. We suggest removing the burner caps from the burner heads and placing them inside your sink.

2. Use a non-abrasive sponge and a mild dish detergent to clean the caps till they are no longer greasy and tacky to the touch.

3. For the burner heads, turn off the stove and wipe them with a damp (not wet) cloth. Use the safety pin to scrape to gently poke into the clogged ignition port…you know, those tiny holes from where the gas comes out. This should help dislodge any crumbs or gunk stuck inside.

4. Now let’s come to the stovetop. For starters, wipe it down with a damp cloth and collect food crumbs. Then use a 1:2 vinegar-baking soda mix to thoroughly coat your stove and let it sit for 30 minutes for best results. Wipe down with a clean cloth and voila, a spotless stovetop is there at your disposal!

Cleaning Kitchen Surfaces

Cleaning Countertops

1. First things first - identification of your countertop material. This is important because natural stone, marble, and even granite are quite sensitive to acidic substances. If you were to take your handy vinegar solution to these, it would only end in a disaster of epic proportions.

2. After identifying the material, you need to select the perfect baking substance that is tailor-suited for your countertop. Dig through the internet, do your research, and give yourself a pat on the back.

3. Stone materials are naturally porous, readily absorbing spills and stains. If you cannot make a conscious effort to instantly wipe down such countertops, steer clear of them.

Pro tip: Sealants do a fabulous job of keeping stone countertops shiny.

4. In a spray bottle, fix a 1:1 isopropyl alcohol-water mix and keep it as a go-to disinfectant.

5. Laminate countertops also require extra care due to their plastic-fused construction. A gentle detergent, water, and a soft microfibre should suffice.

6. While vinegar is any stone countertop’s kryptonite, it is a godsend for butcher block and wooden countertops. Dilute 1 part of vinegar with 3 parts of water in a spray bottle, spritz away, and say hello to a seamless countertop.

7. For wooden countertops, periodic mineral oiling works wonders in preserving the polished appearance.

8. A mixture of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda helps fight tough stains on concrete, laminate, and stainless steel surfaces. However, it can be used sparingly on wood and granite. You can switch this out with a pH-balanced stone cleaner for marble and soapstone.

9. For tile countertops, a little extra effort has to be exerted but the results are worth every bit of vigorous grout-scrubbing. A repurposed toothbrush works like a charm for this purpose.

Cleaning Backsplashes

1. Subject to a lot of splatters, water marks, grease, and grime, your kitchen backsplash is another hotspot you cannot miss. For regular maintenance, we recommend using dish soap with lukewarm water.

2. For stubborn stains, a baking soda and water paste can be applied.

3. If you are dealing with a glass backsplash, a standard glass cleaner or diluted vinegar solution leaves a clean, streak-free surface.

4. A steam cleaner proves effective in softening the stubborn grime and gunk stuck in tile grouts, making it a great tool for effectively cleaning a tile backsplash.

5. Never place any large object up against the backsplash to avoid contact stains.

6. A quick wipe-down, especially after cooking helps prevent build-up. This can save time and effort later down the line.

Conclusion

With these simple yet effective kitchen cleaning tips at your fingertips, achieving that dream of a pristine kitchen is entirely within reach! By establishing a routine and staying consistent, you’ll not only keep your space looking its best but also create an inviting atmosphere for culinary creativity. Whether it’s employing the magic of baking soda or keeping your kitchen linens fresh, every small effort adds up.