Kitchen Cleaning Hacks
You use your kitchen every single day. Why not give it a little TLC?
These tips will help you remove germs and bacteria, grease buildup, and more! From deep cleaning your dishwasher to freshening up all your surfaces, to organizing your storage, we have great tips for you!
Cleaning different surfaces in your kitchen:
Laminate and Ceramic: Use an all purpose cleaner! Laminates can handle strong chemicals, but you often don't need them. Try a vinegar and water solution for everyday cleaning. It cuts grease and kills germs. If the surface has textures, you can use a bristle brush to get into the deeper areas.
If you notice marks from permanent marker or your kids' latest craft project, use nail polish remover! Are there stains? Try a cream cleaner.
Natural/Granite: Frequent use of cleaning solutions could dull these surfaces, so instead use soapy water. You can even use your dish soap! Then dry with a soft cloth to make it shiny.
Stainless Steel: Use a combination of a gentle cleanser and an oil. Try spraying the surface with white vinegar and wipe down with a soft towel. Next, dip a dry cloth into a small amount of olive oil and follow the grain of the steel to create shine and repel water. Be sure to avoid use of abrasive cleaning agents or scrubbers.
Grout: Create a bleach solution and dip a toothbrush in it. Use this to scrub your grout and remove stains. This method may splatter, so keep your towels and nice clothing clear while you're doing this.
Wood: Use a vinegar and water solution to clean the wood. Then, use a small amount of olive oil on a soft cloth to polish the wood.
Deep Clean Your Microwave
Let's start with the inside of the microwave. Grab a microwave-safe bowl and put in 1 Cup of water. Then, add a few tablespoons of white or apple cider vinegar. To finish the solution, squeeze the juice of half an orange, a lemon, or a lime into the bowl.
Pop this bowl in the microwave and put on high until it begins to boil and the window is covered in steam. Stop the cooking, and let sit for five minutes.
Take a cleaning rag and wipe the insides out to remove food residue.
Now let's clean the outside of the microwave. Often microwaves pick up grease just from sitting in the kitchen.
To tackle grease buildups, get a cleaning rag wet and dip it in baking soda. Scrub the outside of the microwave with this. If the outside of the window is greasy, create a 50/50 water and vinegar solution and wipe it down.
Finally, use dish soap and water to wipe down the entire outside. Dry it off, and it's good as new!
Organize Your Kitchen
It's easy for rooms that get daily use, like your kitchen, to easily become deorganized and cluttered. Here are some tips for keeping things in order.
Put your cooking utensils by the stovetop. Keep the things you use frequently, like spoons and spatulas, in an easy-to-reach location. Bonus tip? If the main cook of the home is left or right-handed, put the utensils on that side. If you have other utensils that you may not use every day, put them opposite the ones you use most.
Keep pots and pans nearby. Follow that same method with your utensils. The pans you might use everyday should be easy for you to reach. Special cookware, like a popcorn popper, could go further away from your stove. We recommend storing them somewhere they won't collect dust and grease, like a cabinet or drawer.
Dishes and utensils. Keeping the theme, we recommend storing these near where they would be used. Keeping your plates and silverware in a cabinet to the left or right of the stove would make sense. They could also go near a microwave. Have a coffee maker? Try storing mugs nearby. Bonus points if they're in a cabinet where they won't get dusty or need to be rinsed before use.
Spices, Coffee, and Tea can be kept in simple organizers. A clear plastic container works well for coffee and tea. Spices have many storage options, including racks, lazy susans, drawers, and organizers that hang off cabinet doors. (Check out the image here from One Crazy Mom for inspiration.) If you can, always try to store these things near the places they'll be used. Above a coffee maker, near a stovetop, etc.
Cleaning Supplies. There are a few good options for your cleaning supplies. If you have young children, you may opt to store them in higher cabinets so that they're out of reach. If not, we recommend keeping the solutions you use to clean the kitchen near the sink. Put a roll of trash bags at the bottom of your bin, underneath the bag you're using, for easy replacement. Keep dishwashing gloves near the sink.
Happy Cooking!
We know these tips will help you keep your kitchen clean and organized. Of course, if you're feeling overwhelmed, you can call our cleaning crew! We serve Northwest Indiana and Chicago. We would love to clean and organize your kitchen for you!