Kitchen Cleaning Tips
If your kitchen is anything like mine, it is a very high traffic area and a pain to keep clean. The kitchen is full of unwanted germs, those little critters are lurking on your counter tops, dish rags, in your sinks and in the air…they are everywhere. For most cleaning jobs, you don’t need any fancy expensive cleaner, just use hot soapy water or a mixture of one part water to one part vinegar. They both do a great job at eliminating germs and bacteria. Vinegar is commonly used in many homemade cleaners. A down side to vinegar is that some don’t like the smell, but the odor does fade away after it dries. The up side to vinegar is it is effective in killing bacteria and doesn’t leave behind a soapy residue.
Kitchen Deep Cleaning
Below are some recommended deep cleaning tips for your kitchen. Have any kitchen cleaning tips or tricks of your own? Favorite cleaning supplies? Share them below this article.
Cleaning Counter Tops, Sinks and Door Handles
Sinks typically contain more bacteria than your toilet (not a pretty picture). Counter tops and door handles are also high bacteria areas. Paying extra attention to these areas is important. Use your vinegar water or hot soapy water to clean these areas. Don’t forget about your drain and disposal, another wet area that tends to breed bacteria. Sprinkle a ¼ cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by a half cup of vinegar. Let set for 10 minutes and then flush with boiling or hot water. If stubborn orders exist, use a little elbow grease and an old toothbrush after you add your vinegar.
Sponges and Dish Rags
Sponges and dish rags are the biggest violators when it comes to spreading around germs and bacteria. Bacteria thrives on moist areas. Make sure after each use, rinse out your rag or sponge with cold water and lay it out where is can dry. Change your dish rags and sponges on a regular basis. During the summer I change mine on a daily basis. If your dish rags start to develop a bad odor, soak in baking soda and water for an hour, then wash. By throwing your wet sponges or dish rags in the microwave for a couple minutes will help eliminate the possible bacteria growing inside. The dishwasher is another easy way to get your dish rags and sponges clean. Change your hand towels frequently; they also tend to spread germs.
Microwave Cleaning Tip
To clean your microwave, microwave a cup of water for 3-4 minutes on high. The steam from the water will help stuck on foods come off a little easier. Now finish cleaning with vinegar water or soapy water.
Cleaning Pots and Pans
For stuck on foods, boil water with a tablespoon of baking soda inside your pan for five minutes. Now your stuck on foods should be releasing and after you pan has cooled a little continue to clean with dish detergent.
Cleaning Stainless Steel
Use caution when cleaning stainless steel, the surface scratches easily. Wash your stainless steel with a mixture of 1 cup of water, 1 cup of vinegar and a 1/8 cup of cornstarch, then wipe dry. This will leave your stainless steel spotless and steak free. Windex is another cleaner that works well. Stay away from bleach or any abrasive cleaners. If you have some noticeable scratches, you can buy a kit/cleaner to remove them from your local home improvement store or online (Scratch B Gone is a good product). EZBrite Revere cooper and stainless steel cleaner is another product that receives good reviews for small scratches and cleaning stainless steel.
Cleaning Windows and Mirrors
Make your own window cleaner from 1 cup vinegar, 1cup water and a 1/8 cup of cornstarch. Wash your windows and mirrors with this cleaner and then dry them off with a dry cloth. This will give you clean and streak free windows.
Cleaning Flat Top Cook Tops
Flat top cook tops can scratch fairly easy, so clean them with care. Window cleaner works well to leave your cook top clean and streak free. If you are still having a hard time getting your cook top clean, try cook top cleaner, soft scrub with bleach or Mr. Cleans Magic Eraser. My last tip, do with care and at your own risk. Turn your cook top burner on high and spray with a good amount of water, allowing it to boil on top of the surface. This will help loosen up stuck on food and stains.
Getting Rid of Fruit Flies
Fruit flies like to breed in moist areas and love over ripe fruit, beer, pop or other sugary foods. The good news is that they only live for about 10 days; the bad news is they breed quickly. The thought of these little guys laying their eggs on my fruit….is just not a good one.
To get rid of fruit flies, clean all areas they could be breeding. They like moist areas such as ripe fruits and vegetables, drains, trash cans, etc. Then fill a small bowl or disposable plastic cup with vinegar, wine, beer, juice, or something they enjoy along with a few drops of dish soap. Then cover the cup with plastic wrap and use a rubber band to secure it in place. Make a few small holes in the plastic wrap with a toothpick and place next to your fruit or where you see the fruit flies most. The fruit flies will go in, but won’t be able to get back out. If you catch them while they are in mid air, spray them with a bottle of water and dish soap (a tablespoon is plenty). The dish soap will suffocate them. If you are still having a hard time getting rid of them, you can buy fruit fly traps, sprays and cleaners that will help get rid of them. If they are breeding in your drain, they make drain gel to help break up and remove the film the flies are laying their eggs in.
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