Cleaning your kitchen can be a pain, but it doesn't have to feel like such an enormous chore. Instead of trying to tackle everything at once, break it up into smaller tasks that seem more manageable.
Most parts of your kitchen won't even require scrubbing if you figure out which items can be left to soak while you focus on other things. So check out this list and get to cleaning!
1. Clean your cutting boardWood cutting boards are fantastic, but they can be germy. Properly clean the board by coating it with kosher salt and using a lemon half to scrub the board. Lightly rinse, and then dry well.
2. Steam your microwave There are a variety of ways to clean your microwave, but one is significantly easier than the others: Wet a handful of paper towels, put them in the microwave, and run it on high for three to five minutes. The steam from the paper towels will loosen anything stuck to the inside of the microwave, so you can wipe it out quickly after the towels cool down.
3. Set aside stove burners Most people spend precious time scrubbing away at the gunk on their stove burners. Instead, set them off to the side and let them clean themselves. Pour 1/4 cup of ammonia into a large Ziploc bag and seal your stove burner inside. (Depending on the sizes of your burners and your bags, you might be able to fit more than one in each bag.) Leave the burners to soak overnight, then remove them and wipe them clean with a damp sponge.
4. Coat your ovenCombine 1 cup baking soda, 1 tablespoon liquid dish soap and enough water to make a paste. With your fingers or a sponge, coat the inside of your oven with a thin layer of this paste, including the glass on the door. Go about the rest of your cleaning while this paste does its work.
When you come back to the oven, use a damp scouring pad to scrub over the paste. If any is left after you're finished scrubbing, use a wet rag to wipe it out.
5. Foil your glasswareNeed to scrub stuck-on debris from your glass cookware? Try using tin foil! Scrunch the foil into a ball, add a little soap and water, and scrub away. It works like a steel-wool pad.
6. Degrease your cabinets To get rid of the sheen of grease on the cabinets near your stove, sprinkle a little baking soda onto a damp cloth and scrub the cabinets. Wipe over the cabinets with a damp sponge, and then dry with a clean towel.
7. Organize your cabinets
Here's a clever solution. Keep all your different-sized dishes in place as you slide the drawer open and closed. Just grab a pinboard and some spools to place in the right spots.
8. Hang it up
Another easy organization trick is adding a tension rod under your sink. You can drape all your spray bottles on the rod for easy access.
9. Use your sink
Before you do any cleaning, fill your sink with hot, soapy water. You'll need this throughout the rest of the cleaning process. Put various items in the sink to soak while you clean other areas, and dip a rag into the water whenever you need to wipe something down. Depending on how much you need to clean, you might have to empty out and refill the sink at least once, but make sure soapy water is always in there.
10. Soak your faucet
To clean calcium deposits, soap scum and water spots off of your faucet, you don't need to scrub. Just fill a plastic bag with one part CLR and one part water, and secure the bag around your faucet with a rubber band. Leave it to soak for a few hours, remove it, and wipe the faucet with a Magic Eraser.
11. Polish your sink After you've finished everything else, you can drain the soapy water out of your sink. If you have a stainless steel sink, now is the time to make it just as spotless as the rest of the kitchen. First, use a dry cloth to get rid of any remaining water spots. Next, sprinkle a thick layer of flour throughout the whole sink. Finish by buffing the flour into the sink with a soft cloth or paper towel.
