Spring Cleaning Tips for Your Kitchen Appliances
May 4, 2017
While everyone looks forward to spring, they don’t necessarily look forward to spring cleaning. But once you get started, it can be fun to declutter and see your home in a fresh, new light. Don’t forget to include appliances in your spring cleaning regimen. Even if your appliances look nice on the outside, the inside needs to cleaned once in awhile, too—ideally every six months. Here are some ways to make cleaning appliances a little easier, and a lot greener, too.
Stove and Oven
Remove the knobs from your oven and place them in the sink with warm soapy water to soak. Remove the grates and place them in a sealed Ziploc bag with ¼ cup ammonia. Leave overnight and then wipe down with a rag. Wipe down the stovetop and backsplash with hot soapy water.
If you have a self-cleaning oven, now is the time to run it. If you aren’t so lucky, break out the baking soda and vinegar for this task. First, wipe off any of the loose food. Coat the interior with a paste made of the baking soda and water. Leave overnight and wipe down with a wet rag. Another option is to coat with the baking soda and spray it with vinegar.
For the glass on the door, spread on the same paste of baking soda and water. Leave on for about 30 minutes and wipe off. The glass should shine.
Refrigerator
Dirt, dust, and pet hair tend to gather behind your refrigerator. Find your refrigerator’s coils, either on the back of the refrigerator or above or below the front doors. Remove the cover to expose the coils and use the nozzle on your vacuum cleaner, or a long brush, to remove all the dust and gunk. This will help keep your fridge running efficiently, too.
Remove all the food from inside your refrigerator. Throw out anything that has expired. Pull out the vegetable and meat drawers and shelves and wash them in the sink with hot, soapy water. Wipe down the insides of the refrigerator using a warm rag.
Dishwasher
This is a two-step process. Using short cycles, first run the dishwasher with a cup of vinegar, in a dishwasher safe bowl, on the top rack. Next sprinkle ¼ cup baking soda on the bottom of the dishwasher and run a short cycle again. The vinegar and baking soda combined will help to clean out any food particles and leave it smelling fresh and clean.
Microwave
Take a 4-cup microwave safe bowl and add 1 cup water and a chopped up lemon, lime or orange. Run the microwave high for several minutes or until the solution boils. Then wipe down the sides, top and bottom of the interior with a damp rag. You can also use 2 tablespoons vinegar instead of the fruit.
No need to use harsh chemicals to deep clean your kitchen appliances; just tackle this big chore with these easy steps.
