Tips for Cleaning Your Kitchen

A clean kitchen helps fight bacteria and protects you and your family from food borne illness.

Here are some tips on how to clean your kitchen effectively:

Stove

Stove top

-Take out all removable parts and clean thoroughly
-Wipe down all surfaces and replace cooktop trays if necessary (for glass cooktops, there are special commercial cleaners)

Oven

-Set your self-cleaning oven to clean overnight
-If oven not self-cleaning:
Place newspaper on floor to protect it from oven cleaner
Take out racks and soak them in hot soapy water to wipe down later
Protect your hands with gloves and open a window for ventilation; then spray oven cleaner inside oven and close door
After a few hours wipe down oven. When done, discard towel (do not use scouring pad as this will scratch surfaces)

Stainless Steel

-There are special commercial cleaners for stainless steel
-Scratch marks are impossible to remove, so prevention becomes important

Refrigerator

-Remove everything from shelves (working your way from top to bottom)
-Inspect all items (especially expiry dates) and add to ‘keep’ or ‘toss’ pile
-Clean entire fridge – of spills, mold, mildew, bacteria – using a good cleaner and soapy water (avoid chlorine bleach because it can damage seals, gaskets and linings)
-replace open box of baking soda (to absorb odors)

-Stainless steel

-There are special commercial cleaners for stainless steel
-Scratch marks are impossible to remove, so prevention becomes important

Microwave

-wipe down inside and outside of microwave and dry with paper towel (don’t forget to clean around edge of door and door opening to prevent soil buildup and difficulty closing the door)
-To clean that baked-on mess, place a mug half filled with water inside the microwave and cook on high for two minutes. The water will steam the inside, loosening the hardened splatters. Wipe with cleaner and dry (to avoid future splatters, cover dishes when heating up food)

Dishwasher
 
- Remove the spindles and drawers, clean under them and under the gaskets to get rid of odours.
-Run your dishwasher once on the hot cycle without any pots or dishes, with only a cup of white vinegar, to remove all soap film.

Counter Appliances

-De-clutter your counters – if you have appliances on counters that you only use a couple of times a year, store them in cupboards. They will be protected from dust and grime and you will gain valuable counter space (‘pull out drawers’ can be installed in cupboards for easier access to appliances)

Coffee maker

-Fill the reservoir with equal parts white vinegar and water and put it through the brew cycle. Then, using fresh water, repeat brew cycle to rinse machine.

Toaster

-Pull out crumb tray and wipe it down; shake toaster upside down to remove loose crumbs; wipe down toaster on outside (for melted on plastic from bread bag, use a little nail polish remover to get it off – let the toaster cool off first) 

Blender/Food Processor

-Squirt a few drops of liquid soap into it, fill halfway with warm water, cover and blend away the mess. Rinse and repeat if necessary.

Kitchen Cabinets

-Empty out shelves; inspect items; and sort into ‘keep’ or ‘toss’ pile
-wipe down shelves and re-line if necessary
-wipe down cabinet doors and hardware with good cleaner
-organize and restock only what you need

Space Under Sink

-Get cabinet locks if you have toddlers
-Pull out everything; clean bottom; replace liners
-Install ‘pull out drawers’ if needed
-Throw out old cleaners/clutter
-Organize and restock only what you need

The Junk Drawer

-Dump out whole drawer on the floor
-Wipe with cleaner and dry with paper towel
-Line with compartmentalized insert to organize your items
-Toss/Donate what is no longer needed and keep what is useful
-Organize items according to use

Counter Tops

-De-clutter by removing items you don’t need/use regularly
-Sanitize your kitchen countertops with diluted chlorine bleach or a disinfectant kitchen cleaner (1 tsp bleach to one quart water). Be sure to dry with paper towel.

Kitchen Sink

-Inspect faucet – repair/replace as necessary. For lime and mineral deposits on faucet, wrap vinegar-soaked paper towels around faucet for about one hour. This will break down the mineral scale. After buffing with a dry paper towel the chrome will be clean and sparkling.
-Replace water filters as necessary
-To clean sink drain and disposal mix 1 tbs of bleach in 1 quart of water and pour down the drain (to kill bacterial growth)
-To clear sluggish drains pour ½ cup baking soda and ½ cup of white vinegar down the drain and cover it. Let mixture foam for a few minutes, then pour a pot of boiling water down the drain to flush it.
-Clean sink thoroughly with a good cleaner / bleach solution.

Floors
 
-Prior to scrubbing the floor, use a clean dust mop to sweep. Dust mops should be vacuumed after every use.
-Use floor cleaner that suits your floor type or clean with detergent and warm water solution. Rinse with a cloth or sponge dampened in clean water. Use a dry cloth or paper towel to wipe the surface dry to prevent streaking.

Tile

-The porous nature of grout means cleaning solutions pass through without taking the stain with them. When that dreaded spill happens, clean immediately. The longer a spill sets, the better chance of it staining. Mix a 50/50 solution of hydrogen peroxide to water in a spray bottle. Spray the stain and allow to set 30 minutes. Retreat if needed. Do not use peroxide on colored grout. Peroxide is bleach and will take the color out of the grout.Club soda will also help remove the stain if poured on immediately. Shaving cream does a good job. Spray on and allow to set 30 minutes. Tile stores carry a chalk like stick that is safe for any color grout. Drag it across the stain and remove after an hour or so. Reapply if necessary. Keep a good sealant on the tiles and especially the grout. You’ll find good sealants at tile stores.

Marble/Granite

-Do not use anything other than a mild liquid dish soap on these surfaces. Harsher cleansers will damage the surface. Always dry marble/granite to prevent water spots from leaving their signature mark. Marble/granite stains easily so wipe spills immediately. Do not use vinegar or orange based cleaners to clean marble/granite. The acid in them will damage the surface. Peroxide is safe for stain removal.

Windows / Mirrors

-In a 32 oz. spray bottle add 1/3 cup vinegar and ¼  cup rubbing alcohol and polish windows and mirrors with paper towel.

Pots

-To quickly clean burned food on a pan, add some dish soap and 1/2″ of water to the pot. Bring to a boil, then let the liquid cool in the pan. The burned food will be easy to remove.

Cutlery

-White vinegar on a soft cloth is a great way to remove spots from your stainless steel cutlery. Use a dry cloth to wipe it dry.

Kitchen Towels

-Launder tea towels/dishcloths frequently, using the hot water cycle of the washing machine.
-Replace dishcloths, sponges, pot scrubbers and other moist cleaning items as they harbour germs and promote bacterial growth
-Consider using paper towels to clean up kitchen surfaces – chuck them when done and bacteria is gone!
 

CAUTION

-Be cautious when using orange-based cleaners to clean a kitchen. Some contain petroleum distillates that can break down the rubber in the gaskets around refrigerators and dishwashers.