Who Doesn’t Love a Spotless, Sparkling Kitchen? Hacks #20

Even the messiest of us (that be moi as a died-in-the-wool ADHD persona) find dirty kitchens unappealing.

Messes strewn about and piles of books and papers that I’ll get around to organizing and sorting — someday soon or if not soon, in a future incarnation — are tolerable. But an unclean kitchen, well, that’s not acceptable. After all, we do prepare food there!

Nevertheless, keeping a spotless kitchen isn’t a thrilling chore for most of us. Who doesn’t appreciate quick tips and suggestions for easier maintenance and clean-up for a glistening room?

Some I’ve adopted. Others I shall try. If you’re fortunate to have cleaning staff, they may appreciate your sharing these suggestions.

✅️ Polish a stainless-steel sink with flour

If you’re like me, you’ve tried numerous products and approaches to maintain sparkling stainless-steel sinks. It’s a constant challenge unless you never use the bloody sink.

Myriad cleaning recommendations exist, but this hack claims flour is the best of them all. I haven’t tried it because I haven’t an ounce of the white powder in my kitchen. (Rarely are there ovens in Asian kitchens; hence, flour used primarily in baking isn’t a staple for purchase). But I plan to buy it on a future shopping trip and try this.

Wash and dry the sink and sprinkle the entire thing with flour. Then start polishing. The metal purportedly becomes sparkly and lovely!

If you have tried this hack, please let me know how well it worked.

✅️ Clean the floor under the stove easily

The space under our ovens is rarely, if ever, cleaned…at least mine wasn’t. One reason may be because few of us know this ingenious tip of easily accessing that under-the-stove real estate.

Did you know the bottom drawer can be removed? Once slid out, the floor can be cleaned with a spray, vacuum, or however your little heart desires.

Helpful, yes?

✅ Use a toothbrush to clean hard-to-reach crevices of small kitchen appliances

This is so obvious, but honestly, I’d never thought about it.

Reaching into those tiny, hard-to-reach spots can be frustrating, especially if you notice a build-up of grime. A toothbrush is a fantastic cleaning tool.

✅️ Keep the tops of kitchen cabinets clean with wax paper

Most kitchen designers (or builders) leave space between the upper cabinets and the ceiling. Why I’m unsure, but it’s commonplace and a nasty dust-collecting space. Unless you’re seven feet tall, how many of us climb up and clean atop them frequently?

This easy-peasy suggestion I love.

Line the top cabinet surface with sheets of wax paper that act like a magnet to collect dust and grime. Change it a couple of times annually, and you’re all set! Newspaper works well also.

✅️ Use oven cleaner for the outside of a stained Dutch oven

Oven cleaner can be used to remove stubborn residue, including cooked-on grease, from the outside of enamel Dutch ovens, without damaging the color or finish.

I assume this works on any Le Creuset or other similar brand of enamel cookware. Alas, again, I was unaware of this hack when maintaining a fully stocked kitchen.

✅ Pop a mesh laundry bag in your dishwasher

When next you run the dishwasher, gather up those wee items that get lost or end up in the bottom of the machine — lids to tiny food storage containers, small spoons, water bottle caps, baby implements, and the like.

Place them in a mesh laundry bag. They’ll still be cleaned but easily retrieved.

✅️ Clean cutting boards with lemon

Is your wooden cutting board starting to smell like onions, garlic, meat, or fish?

Get rid of pesky lingering odors with lemon. Slice one in half, then sprinkle some salt on the cutting board. Scrub it with the cut side of the lemon. Magic!

✅️ Cut a corner off your sponge to identify it

You know that sponge used to clean the dishes and another to wipe down the walls? Keep track of which is which with this smart trick.

Cut off the corner of the sponge you use for the dirty work. You’ll never mix them up again.

So clever but I’d never thought of it.

✅️ Clean the gap between the oven and countertop with a butter knife

Most kitchens have a teeny space between the stove and countertop that gobbles up crumbs and splatters.

If you’ve not tried cleaning that hard-to-reach spot, try this hack. Wrap a butter knife with a washcloth (my space is narrow, so a paper towel is my go-to choice). It’s perfect for cleaning wee nooks and crannies.

References:

1. https://kitchencabinetkings.com/infographics/eco-friendly-cleaning-hacks

2. https://www.thekitchn.com/kitchen-cleaning-hacks-264886