Kitchen Spring Cleaning Hacks for Those Who Hate to Clean
With Spring here almost every Waterloo Region homeowner will have spring cleaning in mind and if you are considering putting your home on the market then a serious deep clean of the whole place is called for.
This is especially true is the kitchen as it is one of the most important spaces in a home for any home buyer and so you can be sure they pay close attention to everything.
But who doesn’t shudder at the thought of having to deep clean the entire kitchen? All that grease and grime makes you wish you could do a complete overhaul and get another kitchen ASAP.
However, with most of us spending more time at home at the moment due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related stay at home guidelines then now really is a great time to get started, even if it’s not the most thrilling pursuit.
Deep cleaning your kitchen might not be as difficult as you would imagine though. Consider these pro tips below on how to use unconventional ways (aka natural ingredients) to keep your kitchen looking clean and smelling fresh too!
Use baking soda. On everything.
We love baking soda. Not just because it’s a clever cooking ingredient but because it can be used as an all-around cleaner. Oh, and it is extremely inexpensive.
Greasy oven? Spray the inside with water and sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda all over the inside of your oven. Keep spraying with water every few hours or so and then let sit it overnight. By the time morning comes you’ll be able to can scrub off the remnants of your last baked masterpiece with ease off for a very clean looking oven.
Slimy sink? Although stainless steel sinks are relatively easy to clean, some grease may not come off as easily with ordinary cleaners. Sprinkle baking soda all over the area that needs special attention and scrub away with an old toothbrush. You’ll probably notice your reflection in the shiny sink afterward, it works that well.
Kitchen tiles and grout can also be scrubbed like new with water, baking soda, and a scrubbing tool.
Dispose of the stink with lemon
A garbage disposal is one of the toughest spots to clean effectively in any kitchen. Sadly, they stink too. However, just run half a lemon through your garbage disposal and it will chase away all the stink coming out of the disposal and freshen the whole room at the same time.
Use oils to clean a dirty microwave
Now although it sounds counter-productive, you can clean your microwave beautifully using essential oils.
Saturate a big sponge with water and place it inside your microwave. Fill a spray bottle with water and a few drops of essential oil (lemon essential oil is a favorite) and spray the sides of the appliance too.
Set your microwave for about 2 minutes and then turn it on. Afterward, let the sponge cool down enough for you to handle it and then use that sponge to wipe out the inside. So easy!
Use ammonia to clean gas stove burners
Pour about a quarter cup of ammonia in a sturdy Ziploc bag and put the stove burners inside. You don’t need to soak the burners. The idea is to let the ammonia fumes dissolve the grease and hardened oils. Leave the bag tightly sealed overnight and then wipe each burner clean with a sponge. Voila! Good as new. (Warning: do not mix anything with the ammonia as it might create toxic fumes.)
Use Kool-Aid in your dishwasher
Run a small amount of lemonade Kool-Aid in your dishwasher. The citric acid will do the cleaning for you as it wipes out stains and old lime deposits. Kool, huh?