How to Clean Your Kitchen and Appliances

A clean and organized kitchen is not only essential for a safe and healthy cooking environment but also contributes to the overall atmosphere of your living space.  Your sink, table, countertops, all appliances, floors and every nook and cranny of your kitchen will need to be cleaned and sanitized on a routine basis. In this post on how to clean your kitchen, we will walk you through cleaning your kitchen and appliances.

How to Clean Your Kitchen and Appliances

Simple Steps for Cleaning the Kitchen

1. Cap and put away or dispose of any food that’s been left out.
2. Clean up any scattered trash such as food wrappers or used paper towels. Dispose of these objects in the trash.
3. Are there dirty dishes, glasses, mugs or lunch containers? Wash in hot, soapy water and let dry.
4. Scour the sink with an abrasive cleaner that contains a disinfectant such as ammonia or bleach. Comet or Ajax are both good brands.
5. Wipe down the counter and table tops with a dish soap and water solution. Rinse and dry. Disinfect with bleach or another CDC-approved disinfectant solution.
6. Disinfect all high-touch areas, including chair handles and chair backs, refrigerator and freezer door handles and the door itself.
7. Vacuum the floor.
8. Mop the floor using a detergent and water solution. Rinse and then follow by applying disinfectant to your floor.
9. Take out the trash, disinfect trash pail and replace bag.

How to Clean Your Refrigerator, Microwave, Stove and Other Appliances

Go beyond the simple office appliance wipe-down. Mix up a whitening solution for appliances that also removes residue while killing germs:

Homemade Appliance Cleaning Solution

• ½ cup bleach (kitchen bleach)
• ½ cup baking soda
• 8 cups water

Wipe appliances thoroughly with this mixture, then rinse with clean water. For added shine, mix up a solution of 1 part white vinegar to 1 part lemon juice and buff to shine.

How to reduce mildew buildup in your refrigerator:

• Use straight white vinegar on a cloth and wipe all inner surfaces of your refrigerator and freezer.

To deep-clean your refrigerator, mix up an abrasive cleaning solution as follows:

Homemade Fridge Cleaning Solution

• 3 tablespoons baking soda
• 4 cups warm water
• 5 drops lemon or peppermint essential oil
• Mix thoroughly

Tip for reducing moldy vegetables in the refrigerator crisper drawers:

After cleaning, line the bottom of each drawer with a paper towel, then store your fresh produce. If anything gets mushy or leaks, the paper towel will absorb the moisture to reduce the spread of mold and mildew. Check this paper towel regularly and change as needed.

Cleaning your stovetop:

Clean your stovetop with dishwashing detergent and water on a sponge. For tough stains and stuck-on dirt, sprinkle baking soda on a wet sponge and scrub the surface. Let this mixture sit for about 10 minutes, then wipe clean with a wet sponge.

Trick for Cleaning Oven Racks:

Step 1: Soak a cloth in household ammonia and place in a large garbage bag.

Step 2: Add oven racks to the garbage bag and seal tightly.

Step 3: Place the bag outside overnight.

Step 4: Next day, remove oven racks from bag. Wipe with soap and water in a bucket.

Step 5: Rinse and dry. Return to oven. If not fully dry, set the oven on low heat for a bit.

How to deal with spills on the bottom of your oven:

• Sprinkle with salt and a pinch of cinnamon. Let sit for an hour or so. Wipe clean.
• To make oven spill clean-up even easier, line the bottom of your oven with tin foil and change out periodically.

Get rid of brown stains on your oven window: make a paste of water and baking soda. Add a few drops of lemon essential oil for a fresh scent and a boost of cleaning power. Scrub with a sponge and let sit for about 15 minutes. Wipe down with water.

Microwave Cleaning Trick:

It’s a good idea to sanitize this common appliance where people’s food is made. Here’s an easy trick to do that:

• Place a microwave-safe bowl of white vinegar into the microwave and heat for about 30 seconds. Let cool for a bit.
• Dip a cloth into the hot vinegar and use it to wipe down the insides of the microwave.

Keep your microwave cleaner longer by making sure to cover your bowls or dishes of food before heating.

Dishwasher Self-Cleaning Tip:

Place a small bowl of bleach in the bottom of your empty dishwasher and run a wash cycle. When finished, remove the bowl and replace with a bowl of white vinegar. Run on full wash/rinse cycle.

To remove yellow stains from your dishwasher, try scrubbing with a baking soda paste, then running a self-cleaning cycle as described above.

How to get melted plastic bag remnants off your toaster:

Rub with nail polish remover on a cloth. Then buff into the chrome for extra shine.

Clean the inside of your tea kettle:

Did you know that those deposits inside your tea kettle are just hard water accumulations such as lime? Break up the deposits by adding:

• 1 part white vinegar
• 1 part water in the kettle
• Bring to a boil for a few minutes. Then let cool, dump the kettle water, wash and rinse

Clean water deposits from your coffee maker by pouring vinegar into the reservoir and then running it through a coffee-making cycle.

To remove buildup from your blender, squirt a bit of dishwashing liquid in and fill ¾ of the way with warm water. Pop the lid on and run the blender for a few minutes.

Conclusion

We hope this post on how to clean your kitchen properly has helped with the tips and motivation needed to transform your kitchen into a space of cleanliness and order.

Incorporate small cleaning habits into your daily routine, such as wiping down surfaces after each use or loading the dishwasher promptly. By doing so, you’ll prevent the accumulation of messes and ensure that your kitchen remains a welcoming place.