It’s finally time for spring cleaning, and that means refreshing your home. While there are a lot of things to clean this spring, your kitchen requires a little extra TLC. You’ll likely know to clean your fridge and freezer, sweep the floor, and wipe down countertops, but other kitchen staples need cleaning, too. For anything you may have forgotten or don’t know how to clean, we’re here to walk you through how to clean them.
To start, we recommend grabbing a few rags, rubber gloves, and a mask if it’s been a while since you’ve cleaned.
Stock up for spring cleaning:
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How to Clean a Dishwasher
You’d think the machine that keeps your dishes clean would be clean too, right? Well, not so much. Food and debris fall off of dishes while cleaning and can quickly collect at the bottom, jamming the filter and leaving germs or mold. Not only is this gross, but your dishes can start to seem like they aren’t as clean as usual.
But cleaning your dishwasher is quite easy. Wipe down the inside with a rag and a little dish soap and water, ensuring you clean the black rubber gasket that seals the unit (this can get particularly dirty). Then, unscrew the filter (you can find it in your owner’s manual or on the manufacturer’s website). Gently scrub the filter clean with a soft brush. If it’s especially dirty, you can soak it in warm, soapy water before cleaning.
To help maintain the clean interior, always scrape food from dishes before loading your dishwasher and give the machine a clean quarterly, depending on how often you use it.
How to Clean an Oven
When you start to smell burning in your oven or an off smell, it’s probably time to clean. Start by removing the oven racks, soak them in warm water with dish soap, and wash normally. Next, mix baking soda with a little water until it becomes a spreadable paste. Apply it throughout the oven (avoiding the heating elements) and allow it to sit for at least 20 minutes, but preferably overnight. Spray it down with white vinegar if needed and wipe away using a dish towel.
Finish your cleaning by wiping down the oven glass door with vinegar, and if you can safely, move the oven from the wall to vacuum underneath to get crumbs and debris.
To maintain the clean interior, be sure to wipe spills with dish soap in a cooled oven as soon as they happen so they don’t bake on and become more difficult to clean. Aim for a deeper clean quarterly, depending on how often you use it.
How to Clean a Garbage Disposal
You’ll usually know it’s time to clean out the garbage disposal when it starts to smell. An easy cleaning method is adding two cups of ice cubes, a lemon slice, and a tablespoon of baking soda to the garbage disposal and running it. Alternatively, you can add a cup of ice to your drain with a little dish soap and let the garbage disposal run until all the ice is gone. Always finish cleaning with about 30 seconds of hot water.
And don’t forget the splash guard, the black rubber cover that usually sits at the top of the drain to prevent food from splashing out when you turn on the disposal. Pop it out and throw it in the dishwasher or scrub it with hot soapy water. The disposal generally stays pretty clean, but doing this every few weeks can help get rid of build up and odors.
How to Clean a Coffee Maker
Bacteria, coffee residue, and other buildup can easily stay in the coffee machine, making your coffee taste off or bitter. To clean, fill with half water and half white vinegar and run a cycle. Pause the cycle halfway through and let the mixture sit for up to an hour. Finish the cycle and run two more full cycles with fresh water. Wash any removable pieces with hot, soapy water and wipe the outside with dish soap and a towel. Aim to do this monthly to maintain the clean, based on usage.
How to Clean a Microwave
Whether something makes a mess in the microwave or buildup has gotten out of control from smaller spills, cleaning your microwave is an important (and easy) regular habit. Add a cup of water and a few tablespoons of white vinegar or lemon slices to a microwave-safe bowl and heat to create steam (about two or three minutes). Leave for five minutes and then carefully remove the bowl from the microwave and wipe down the interior with dish soap and a towel. You can clean the turntable in the sink with dish soap, too.
To maintain the clean, consider using a microwave plate cover every use and clean the microwave quarterly.
