Your kitchen might be the heart of your home, but it’s a heart that can require a LOT of effort to keep clean. Trust me, I feel like I spend life in there both cooking and cleaning! A clean kitchen is essential not just because you prepare your food there, but because you probably spend a lot of time there. The cleaner your kitchen, the calmer the atmosphere, the quicker it will be to make meals, and the easier it will be to enjoy them.
The biggest hack of all for a clean kitchen – which will be no secret for anyone – is to clean as you go. But if you’re someone who doesn’t want to feel like you’re constantly cleaning, you will want to find hacks to degrease, declutter, and sanitize in record time.
Try these hacks for a sparkling kitchen with less effort and maximum results!
1. Degrease Your Oven Hood with Oil
Your kitchen hood is a magnet for grease and grime, and when the dust comes to rest on top, the surface becomes harder to clean. This may sound counterintuitive, but a few drops of vegetable oil on a paper towel or cloth will do the trick. Wipe the surface, and the grime goes!
2. Clean Your Dishwasher with Tang
If your dishes aren’t coming out clean anymore, you probably have calcium deposits in your dishwasher. Just pour a container of Tang instant drink (the powder) into your empty dishwasher and run a full cycle. Your dishwasher will be clean and ready to do its job again so you’ll once again have sparkly dishes.
3. Clean Your Taps with Vinegar
Another trick for removing calcium deposits from faucets or showerheads is vinegar soaking. You don’t even have to remove the faucet or showerhead – just wrap a plastic bag filled with vinegar around the bottom with a rubber band or hairband, and leave it for 20 to 30 minutes.
Let the water run for a few minutes, and ta-da! Unclogged in a snap.
4. Unclog Drains with Dishwashing Liquid
If your drain slows down, you don’t need to buy expensive unclogging products. Squeeze a bit of dish soap down the drain and run the hot water for a few minutes. Dishwashing liquid is specially formulated to cut through grease on dishes, and the same applies to fat in your drains and pipes.
5. Clean Stainless Steel with Vinegar and Oil
Whether you’ve got stainless steel countertops or a new gooseneck kettle for your coffee, clean stainless steel is easy to achieve.
Simply spray some white vinegar onto the surface and wipe with a microfiber cloth. Then use a few drops of olive oil or vegetable oil. A quick wipe of oil after the vinegar will help protect the finish from fingerprints.
You could also use flour – sprinkle some flour onto your stainless steel surface, and buff with a cloth for a great shine.
6. Clean Small Items with a Mesh Bag in the Dishwasher
Tired of scrubbing water bottle tops, small lids, and other bits and pieces? Pop them into a mesh laundry bag and put the bag in the dishwasher. The bag will keep items from getting lost, while the hot soapy water will do all the work for you.
7. Remove Coffee Stains with Baking Soda
Those ever-present coffee stains can quickly disappear with the magic of baking soda. Sprinkle a bit into your stained mug or cup and add enough water to make a paste. Scrub for a few minutes, rinse, and wash as usual. No more stains!
8. Clean Your Microwave Using Lemons
First of all, be sure you’re using a microwave cover to avoid unnecessary spatters when heating food.
To clean your microwave with lemon, put 1/2 cup water into a microwave-safe bowl. Cut a lemon in half and add both halves to the bowl. Microwave on high for 3 minutes so that the liquid boils, and let stand for 5 minutes. Don’t be tempted to open the door, as you want the steam inside to do its job.
Wipe down afterward, and you’re done!
9. Clean Wood Surfaces with Lemon and Vinegar
Fill one spray bottle with one part vinegar to one part lemon oil. Spray onto a microfiber cloth and wipe down your wood surfaces such as cabinet doors, baseboards, and more. You’ll be left with gorgeously smelling and shiny surfaces.
10. Clean Your Oven While You Sleep
If your oven’s auto-clean feature leaves you with a smelly kitchen, you’ll love this hack. Fill a spray bottle with 1/3 cup water, 1/2 cup baking soda, and 1/3 cup white vinegar. Remove the racks from your cool oven and spray the inside (don’t spray the heating elements.)
Close the door, go to bed, and in the morning, all you’ll need to do is wipe your oven with soapy water and dry it with a cloth.
