Cleaning the kitchen isn’t on the top of the list of “fun things to do” but, it has to be done. Even though it might not be the most exhilarating chore, there are ways to make it easier and less daunting.
These 28 kitchen cleaning hacks will change the way you think about this mundane task.
These nifty tips and tricks will give you that sparkling kitchen without much effort at all.
1. Clean your grill grates with onion.
Rub half of a peeled onion over the grates of your hot grill to deglaze and clean your grates. It also adds a nice flavor to your next meal! Head on over to How to Clean Things for the tutorial.
2. Add a bit of shine to cutting boards and other wood with coconut oil.
Wooden surfaces can dull and become less lustrous as they once were. Add some instant shine to wooden cutting boards and counter tops by rubbing in some coconut oil with a soft cloth.
3. Remove coffee stains from mugs with baking soda.
Coffee can stain ceramic and other porous glass surfaces, dish soap might not be able to remove them. Sprinkle some baking soda and a bit of water on the stains; let sit for 10 minutes. Scrub the paste into the surface to watch the stains lift away.
4. Clean hard-to-wash bottles with rice.
Narrow-necked bottles can be difficult to clean. Add a bit of uncooked rice, water, and dish soap to the bottle and give it a vigorous shake — problem solved!
5. Wear chenille socks to dust your hardwoods.
Invest in a few pairs of chenille socks and wear them while you walk around your hardwood floors. Your socks will collect dust wherever you walk. Of course, you’ll want to wash them frequently, but it’s an excellent way to clean your house without even realizing it.
6. Use ground coffee to eliminate refrigerator odor.
Most people think of baking soda when they think of a deodorizer; however, freshly ground coffee on a plate does the trick just as well. Plus? It smells heavenly.
7. Scrub cabinet doors with vegetable oil and baking soda.
Get rid of gunk build-up on your cabinet doors by making a simple cleaning mixture from vegetable oil and baking soda. The full tutorial can be found here.
8. Clean glass baking dishes using aluminum foil.
Crumple up a bit of aluminum foil and use it, with some dishwashing liquid and water, to scrub off any baked on food from glassware baking dishes.
9. Invest in a squeegee to remove pet hair.
Breaking out the vacuum every time you want to clean up some pet for can be a little annoying. Instead, buy a squeegee and rake it across your carpet to easily gather and throw away the fur.
10. Shine up cast-iron pans with sea salt.
It’s well-known that dish soap should never be used on a cast-iron skillet. Instead, use a steel scrubbing pad with some sea salt and water to easily get rid of grease.
11. Get rid of water stains with vinegar.
Hard water can leave stains on some kitchen surfaces. You can easily remove them by rubbing a small amount of vinegar onto them — they’ll disappear right before your eyes.
12. Sanitize your sponge in the microwave.
Kitchen sponges can be some of the most germ-infected surfaces in our entire home. Stay healthy and keep your family safe by zapping your sponge in the microwave for 2 minutes every week.
13. Shine up your microwave with vinegar.
Steam a bowl of vinegar mixed with water in the microwave for 10 minutes. Simply wipe it down afterward for a sparkling, clean microwave.
14. Clean up an oil spattered stove with more oil.
Grease splatters can stick all over an oven’s surface; it can be hard to clean. Take a soft cloth and add a few drops of vegetable oil, scrub the caked-on, old oil and it will come right off. Wipe down with a clean cloth afterward.
15. Clear out coffee grounds with a piece of bread.
Having trouble cleaning out the last of the coffee grounds from your coffee grinder? Take a piece of soft bread and rub it along the bottom of the grinder to pick up any remaining pieces.
16. Fix burned pots and pans with vinegar and baking soda.
It’s happened to everyone — you take your eye off the stove for just a moment and all of the sudden you’ve burnt your favorite pan. That’s okay! Just fill it with water and two cups of vinegar then bring it to a boil. Take it off the heat and add a couple of teaspoons of baking soda. Let it stand for two minutes then give it a good scrub. The stains should come right off.
17. Give your dishwasher a good cleaning with mugs of vinegar.
It’s important that you give your dishwasher a cleaning of its own every single month. You can easily do this by filling two mugs with white vinegar and set them in the washer right-side-up, nothing else should be in the dishwasher. Run the cycle as normal, and your dishwasher will sparkle like new.
18. Remove grime from your oven with a few simple household products.
Head on over to PopSugar to see how you can easily clean grease and grime from your oven using only: baking soda, vinegar, lemon, hydrogen peroxide, and dish soap. Ingredients that you probably already have inside of your cupboards.
19. Use a potato to unclog a cheese grater.
If a cheese-grater isn’t cleaned immediately after using it, the cheese can harden and become stuck, making it difficult to clean. No problem! Just grate a small potato, and it will force all of the hardened cheese from the grater and has cleaning properties as well.
20. Shine your glassware with vinegar.
Glassware can develop water stains and spots over time. Just rub your glasses with a soft cloth that has been dampened with a bit of vinegar. After the glass dries, the smell will dissipate, and the glasses will sparkle.
21. Eliminate germs in your coffee machine.
Fill your coffee machine’s chamber with equal parts of vinegar and water. Run the machine as normal. Afterward, run the machine two more times with only water. You’ll be sanitized and ready to go for your next fresh batch of joe.
22. Clean your iron with salt.
Irons can accumulate burn marks on the bottom over time. You can easily remove them by warming up the iron and using a soft cloth to rub some salt over the burn marks — they should come up easily. Afterward, wipe the iron down with a damp cloth.
23. Sanitize wooden cutting boards with lemon and salt.
These two simple ingredients can make your wooden cutting board as good as new. Check out these other amazing ways to clean your cutting boards.
24. Deodorize stinky kitchen towels with baking soda and vinegar.
Is there anything that vinegar can’t do?! Kitchen towels can become dirty and smelly with all of the wiping and rinsing we do. Add them to your washing machine with some baking soda, vinegar, and optional essential oils for fragrance. No more odors!
25. Remove stuck-on food from baking trays with lemon.
Our excitement over the cleaning qualities of vinegar can easily be said about lemons as well. Rub half a lemon over stainless steel baking trays to easily remove stuck on grease. They’ll be nice and shiny too!
26. Unblock your drain with two simple ingredients.
Loosen up grime and sludge in your drain within five minutes. Head over to Crunchy Betty for a super easy tutorial on how to fix the blockage using baking soda, lemon, and water.
27. Clean your blender with just one switch.
Smoothies and other concoctions can create a nasty build up in the nooks and crannies of your blender. After you’re done using it, fill it halfway with water and two drops of dishsoap. Run the blender for a couple seconds and rinse. You’re all set!
28. Freshen up your garbage disposal with a wedge of lemon.
Garbage disposals can become stinky and unpleasant after a while. Cut a lemon in half and then shove it down the disposal — run the blades for ten seconds with the water running. It’s citrus fresh!
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