10 Kitchen-Cleaning Hacks To The Rescue

The kitchen is one of the most used areas in a house and requires constant cleaning. It is also one of the most germ filled areas and requires deep cleaning from time to time. If you have a busy schedule, then these kitchen-cleaning hacks will save time as well as give you the spotless kitchen that a culinary expert like you deserves.

1.     Self Cleaning Blender

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Cleaning a blender by hand can be time consuming. You’d rather spend that time sipping on a smoothie, while reading the paper, instead of making it to-go. Try rinsing the blender out once you are done using it. Fill it with warm water and soap and turn it on for a few seconds. The blender cleans itself at only the push of a button.

2.     Coffee Maker Magical Potion

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Everyone needs their morning cup of Joe and to make sure you get that perfect brew without any interruptions, you must keep that coffee maker clean. How do we do that without getting our gloves out? Simple. Just fill it with one part vinegar and one part water. Let the mixture run through the coffee maker and voila it is clean.

3.     The Germ Assassin

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We already know that the kitchen is a dirty place. To keep it clean we use dishcloths and sponges. But who cleans the sponges? There is up to ten million bacteria per square inch on a kitchen sponge. In order to eliminate these bacteria, just heat the sponges in the microwave for around two minutes.

4.     The Odor Extract-inator

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Did you accidentally leave last night’s dinner in the fridge uncovered? And now your whole fridge smells of garlic tuna pasta? This can actually be fixed with the morning breakfast. Just place a small bowl of dry raw oats (uncovered) in the fridge. By dinnertime again, the odor should be completely gone. Warning: DO NOT use the oats after. Throw it away and refrain from smelling it if you are fond of your sense of smell.

5.     Oven Rescue Mission

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Ovens tend to get caked with grime and grease over time. Wipe down the insides with a scrub sponge and some warm soapy water. Mix together the following ingredients to form a thick glue-like paste:

• ¼ cup liquid dish soap
• ½ cup baking soda
• ¼ cup hydrogen peroxide
• Zest of one lemon
• 1 tablespoon vinegar

Spread the paste all over the insides of the oven including the oven door using a sponge. Let it work its magic for at least 4 hours. Use a damp sponge to remove the paste and wipe off the entire gunk.

6.     Microwave Your Way To Sparkles

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Fill a bowl with water and a bit of vinegar and let it microwave for a few minutes. Once done, you can wipe away any stains with complete ease.

7.     The Great Grater Dilemma: To Grate Or Not to Grate

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Pizzas, pastas and salads taste best with grated cheese. But what about all the cheese that gets stuck in your grater afterwards. A simple way to get rid of it is to grate a raw potato afterwards. The potato slices will grab onto the remaining cheese and make it come off with no damage to your sponge. Just rinse the grater and you are done.

8.     Ketchup Truly Makes Everything Better

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Copper pans and cutlery can lose their luster over time. The magic potion to revive them is Ketchup! Just dab some Ketchup on a dishcloth and rub the copper item like you would expect a genie to appear. Next, just wipe off and rinse.

9.     Drain A Drain

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Drains can tend to get smelly due to clogged up grime that has collected over time. In order to de-clog your drain and make it smelling and working great, follow this method:

• Pour a pot of boiling water down the drain
• Pour around ½ cup baking soda and let it sit for a few minutes
• Pour a mixture of 1 cup vinegar and 1 cup hot water on top of the baking soda
• Let this sit for 10 minutes
• Pour a pot of boiling water once more to flush everything out.

This is a foolproof method that won’t cause damage to your drain unlike store bought drain cleaners that are loaded with various chemicals.

10.  Natural Scented Kitchen

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Create your very own stovetop potpourri or buy one from the store and have a kitchen that isn’t just visibly clean but also smells clean.

Tips:

• Always start cleaning from the top of the room and work your way down. This ensures you don’t dirty a spot that you have already cleaned.
• Clean the dirtiest things first so that the mess doesn’t spread.
• Clear out items like spice bottles, plates etc so nothing interferes in your cleaning.

There you have 10 super easy ways to have your kitchen sparkling like it's brand new! Follow these suggestions regularly and you'll not have to schedule a mess spring cleaning session for your kitchen. Small but effective cleaning methods should become habits to ensure that your kitchen is always sparkling clean. 

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