How to Clean the Messiest Parts of Your Kitchen

Cleaning the kitchen is such a hassle. It doesn’t help that some of the hardest appliances to clean are sitting in our kitchens collecting food scraps, dirt, and bacteria. Scroll down for our tips to cleaning the messiest parts of your kitchen!

The Oven

It is recommended that you clean your oven every three to six months to preserve the life of your oven and prevent any potential hazards. Since many newer ovens have a self-cleaning feature, cleaning the inside of your oven isn’t the chore that is was before. Once the self-cleaning is finished, use a wet SOS sponge to wipe out any leftover debris

For the outside of your oven, you can fight grease and splatter build up by mixing water and baking soda. Coat the door with a thick coat and let set. After 15 minutes, use a clean sponge to wipe away the mixture.

The Refridgerator

Remove everything from your refrigerator. Take out drawers and place them in a sink or bathtub filled with dish detergent and warm water. In a medium-sized bowl, mix half part water and half part dish detergent and use a sponge to wipe out the shelves, walls, and doors of your refrigerator. Wipe down with a dry cloth to remove excess detergent. Rinse off and dry the drawers and place them back into your refrigerator. When it is time to reload your food, only put back the items that you will need for the week for meals, condiments and sauces, and foods that haven’t expired.

For the freezer, mix equal parts hot water and vinegar and transfer the mixture into an empty spray bottle. Spray the solution on the shelves and door of the freezer and wipe down using the rough side of a sponge. The hot water will help keep your sponge from freezing and sticking.

The Garbage Disposal

The garbage disposal is filled with old food so no wonder it is a chore to keep clean. The best way to combat a messy disposal is through preventative maintenance. Keep grease and raw foods out of your sink to keep the garbage disposal from collecting bacteria (and flies) that can make your sink a hotbed of gross. Make sure to run your garbage disposal after everytime you clean your dishes to keep small food particles from clogging your line. Once a week, slowly pour hot water down your garbage disposal to break up any stuck on food in your pipe. Freshen up the scent by cutting up a lemon wedge, and running your garbage disposal and warm water for one minute.

The Stove Top

Fill the sink with warm to hot water mixed with dishwasher detergent. Remove the burners from your stove and place them in the sink and soak for up to 2 hours. The time may vary depending on how much burnt on food is built up on the burners. Using baking soda, scrub down the stove and wipe it clean with a damp cloth.

Drain the sink, scrub away any remaining dirt on the burners with a thick coat of baking soda, and rinse with warm water. Once the burners are clean, lay them on a towel or drying rack. Once they are completely dry place them back on your stove top.

Viola! Kitchen cleaned.