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Keeping house is not instinctual for most people, it’s a learned behavior and habits that need to be repeated (all the time, unfortunately) to be effective. Here are my top 4 clean kitchen techniques for you to try out for yourself. Keep an eye out for more posts in this series. Happy homekeeping!
How to Clean a Refrigerator
With all the activity that goes on in the fridge, it’s doesn’t take long for crumbs, spills and drips to take center stage. With 15-30 minutes and this simple DIY cleaner, you can get your fridge sparkling clean and debris free! The warm water and soap help to dissolve those spills, drips and crumbs while the baking soda acts as a natural deodorizer.
Three ingredients are all that’s required with this cleaner. Mix together:
-4 to 6 cups warm water
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1 teaspoon castile or liquid dish soap
Start by emptying your fridge and be prepared to work quickly to assure that your food stays cold. Submerge your microfiber cloth or dishcloth in the mixture and wring out until almost dry. Wipe down the shelves, repeating until all the shelves and drawers have been wiped clean. Rinse and wring as necessary. There is no rinsing of the shelves required but you can dry if desired. Put all your food back, taking care to group like items together and dispose of expired and unnecessary items while you are at it. That’s all there is to cleaning out your fridge!
Streamline your time unloading and putting away dishes with these tips on loading your dishwasher correctly. Bonus: get your dishes cleaner, too!
How to Load a Dishwasher
Start by rinsing your dishes with a quick rinse to remove excess food. If you aren’t ready to load your dishwasher quite yet, stack your dishes on the counter according to type. This is a big time saver when you are ready to load the dishwasher because everything is all ready to be placed together.
Use a small colander to rinse the silverware and keep it contained after meal time. Simply bring the colander to the dishwasher after rinsing and load. Keep your glasses and glassware on the top and bowls and plates in the bottom. Keeping them grouped simplifies putting them away as all you need to do is stack or group them and put them in their proper spot.
Don’t forget to wash your sponge nightly to keep them germ free. If you have the option of using a sanitize cycle on your dishwasher, use it in order to kill all the germs on both the sponge and dishes. Be sure that you aren’t blocking the arms of the sprayer with any large pots and pans as well.
Start your dishwasher off right by running the hot water in your sink so the dishwasher starts out hot. This helps to rinse dishes and clean the dishes more effectively from the get-go.
How to Clean Your Oven
Skip the toxic chemicals and clean your oven with ingredients you probably already have on hand. This DIY cleaner works like a champ to remove baked on, caked on, leftover food and crumbs.
Mix up:
-1/2 cup water
-Enough baking soda to make a paste, or approximately 1/4 to 1/2 cup
-1 tablespoon Castile soap or dish soap
Dip a sponge in to the paste and spread all over your oven to coat. Allow it to sit for 15-30 minutes. Use a clean sponge and wipe clean, rinsing with warm water. Repeat the rinsing with a sponge and warm water until the oven is thoroughly clean and has no residue.
With all of the soapy water and washing that goes on in a kitchen sink, you’d think that it would stay clean but unfortunately sinks can get grimy in a hurry. Try one of these natural, non-chemical based scrubs to clean and shine up your sink in no time. No scratches!
How to Clean Your Kitchen Sink
Stainless Steel:
-2 cups baking soda
-10 drops lemon essential oil
-10 drops clove essential oil
-Squirt of castile or dish soap
Put the baking soda in a jar, add the essential oil and top the container. Shake well to combine. Sprinkle up to 1/4 cup in your sink, add a squirt of dish soap and scrub well using a scrub brush. Rinse well and air dry or wipe with a paper towel or cloth
Porcelain Sink:
-1/2 cup baking soda
-1/4 cup vinegar
-5 drops lemon essential oil
-5 drops clove essential
Mix the ingredients in a small bowl until it is a paste-like consistency. Add more or less vinegar as needed. Apply to sink and use a scrub brush in a circular motion. Rinse well with water and dry with a paper towel or dry cloth to give it a little shine.
Solid Surface Sink:
Use the stainless steel scrub recipe to keep your sink shiny and debris-free.
Cast Iron Sink:
Use the porcelain sink recipe to keep your sink from dulling or scratching.
Savannah Says...
Thanks for all the tips! I like the homemade cleaners versus my other chemical cleaners that make my allergies go haywire!
Antipodeanangel Says...
I absolutely love you sink scrub! I have been using it every night after I wipe down the benches, it really makes our old tired kitchen looking sparkly and clean. Going to try out your fridge scrub today – thanks 🙂
Jordan Says...
Great tips here! Baking soda is a LIFE SAVER for stuck-on stuff in the oven! The other cleaners just can’t handle it as well as baking soda paste can. Thanks for sharing!
Penny Says...
Thank you, Becky. More great ideas. Home from vacation so I need to print May Homekeeping and get to “Spring Clean in 30”. : ) So excited–my daughter told me she started following you on Instagram. She’s done some of the spring cleaning tasks.
Shawna@nottheformerthings Says...
I can not thank you enough for your posts. I genuinely have learned so much from you and you are making my life as a stay at home momma so much easier! I am so grateful.
tammy Says...
how can you keep the window on front of stove clean…I cannot get to the glass to clean it? thanks
Jen @ Healthfulsaver Says...
I am loving your sink scrub recipe. I even gave some in a cute jar to my mom for Mother’s Day!
Nelda Says...
what would you recommend for a copper sink?
Becky Says...
Post authorJust soap and water 🙂
Joanne Says...
Hi how would you clean your stainless steel stove top pls
Becky Says...
Post authorhttp://www.cleanmama.net/2015/09/how-to-clean-a-gas-cooktop.html