It’s the tail-end of winter and you’re stuck indoors. Although, sometimes unscheduled time off is the best opportunity to tackle those household jobs, like a kitchen cleanse. For instance, you could give your kitchen some love.
Here are 6 easy cleaning hacks that won’t take you long. But these can seriously upgrade the look and feel of the heart of your home.
1. Clean The Sink
SOURCE: PEXELS
Clean a porcelain sink with a mixture of bicarbonate of soda and hydrogen peroxide. Use circular motions with a non-abrasive sponge. You can use bicarb and washing up liquid as an alternative if you find hydrogen peroxide hard to come by. A toothbrush is a great way to get to hard-to-reach places around taps. And, a microfibre cloth can be used to buff away streaks and marks on a stainless steel sink.
2. Say Bye to Blocked, Smelly Drains
To tackle slow draining sinks or bad smelling drains, use bicarbonate of soda and vinegar to free things up. Pour hot water down the drain followed by a generous amount of soda crystals. Leave this for 10 minutes before adding vinegar to the mix. Or mix the vinegar and bicarb together (careful, it will bubble) and use in a spray bottle for cleaning the sink and drains. Finally, rinse with hot water–ta-dah!
3. Grease-free Oven and Tiles
Use a paste cleaner to shift grease and grime from the oven, hob and kitchen tiles. For mild to medium cleaning jobs, a non-abrasive wet sponge will be sufficient to remove any surface dirt, while a wipe down and final buffing with a microfibre cloth will leave your surfaces sparkling clean. That said, heavy duty oven cleaning can be strangely satisfying on an unexpected off-duty day.
4. Clean Cupboard Doors
SOURCE: PEXELS
Kitchen cabinet doors and panels should be dusted with a dry soft cloth that doesn’t scratch the surface. For example, with wet cleaning, carefully wipe down with a weak soapy solution. Then, finish off by drying with a soft clean cloth. Use a mixture of water and vinegar to deal with wooden doors. Never use detergents such as wax furniture polish, bleach or chlorine based cleaners or solvents as they could easily damage the surface.
5. Shine Those Floors
SOURCE: PEXELS
How you clean your kitchen floor will depend on what material it’s made from, whether you have hardwood, vinyl, or concrete flooring, each surface will need appropriate cleaners. For hardwood flooring you should avoid using water as this can damage the floor, use a microfiber mop and hardwood floor cleaner. Vinyl flooring is easy to clean, use warm water and soap if needed. Many modern kitchens now have concrete flooring, dependent on finish this can be cleaned with dishwashing liquid and water.
6. Deep Clean Your Fridge & Freezer
One of the main places to store food and drink in your kitchen, the fridge and freezer can easily start to get unhygienic. First, empty everything out and throw out anything that’s out of date. Next, dilute a capful of disinfectant and wipe all doors, drawers and surfaces with a soft cloth to leave you fridge germ free and smelling fresh. Keep a tumbler of bicarbonate of soda in the fridge door to absorb any lingering odors.
We hope these tips help you in having a happy cleaning snow day.
