Best Practises for Kitchen Cleaning

**monkeywrangler71** · 04-30-2010, 11:11 AM

What's your best tip for cleaning in the kitchen? What do you do that makes it quick, easy, frugal, or super duper sparkly? Do you have a special trick for cutting through grime that the rest of us are scrubbing for hours?

I just discovered that windex cleans that greasy dust that accumulates in places you don't get to often. I'm not a big windex fan, can't stand the smell, so maybe everyone else already knew that.

**Contrary Housewife** · 04-30-2010, 01:05 PM

409 will cut through anything. You may have to let the spot soak a bit first. It will strip grease, built up cigarette smoke tar, and the finish from your wooden cabinets.

For food stains on your countertops nothing beats bleach. You might have to put some on a sponge and let it soak a bit but it almost always fixes it. I keep a 50/50 mix of water and bleach in an old spray bottle.

I'm a clean-as-you-go person. So as I'm making dinner wrappers go in the trash, potato peels go in the compost bag, the mixing bowl gets rinsed and put in the sink, knives cleaned immediately after use, stove wiped off when cooking is done. As a result there's no huge mess to clean up afterward, just a small one.

**monkeywrangler71** · 04-30-2010, 01:07 PM

I wish I was a clean-as-you-go person, I think life would be much easier

I really need to work on that.

**Ali Lee** · 04-30-2010, 01:27 PM

I do the "1 foot jig". Ya know, spray an area of your dirty floor with vinegar h20, throw down a rag, use your foot to wipe up. Easy & quick spot cleaning!

**Darlene** · 04-30-2010, 02:05 PM

What ever cleaner I use, spray and let sit a bit to soften up whatever, then its a quick scrub and your done. Always something else to do in the kitchen, like sweep, while the counters take a mini bath.

I do try to start a cooking project with a sink full of hot soapy water so I can wash as I go. Doesn't always happen but when I "remember" to just do it I'm always pleased.

**beks37** · 04-30-2010, 02:39 PM

Every day after cooking, I take a wet washcloth and wipe everything down. Once a week or so I spray everything down with Orange 409. It works like magic on the appliances and make everything sparkly clean. Now, the stove top....that's another story because I can't seem to get or keep it clean. It's has a ceramic top and each burner has a black ring or part of a black ring around it. It takes a lot of elbow grease to get those looking decent!

**Contrary Housewife** · 04-30-2010, 02:46 PM

Monkeywrangler -- I HAVE to clean as I go because I have 39" of counter space in my kitchen and the cutting board, the food I am prepping, the vegetable steamer, and food processor have to share that space. There is no room for me to leave a dirty bowl sitting around!

Becky -- Scotch Brite cooktop cleaner pads. I don't know how it is different from other cooktop cleaners, but this one works. And I love the scrubber handle, keeps my nails out of the mess.

**cleaning** · 05-03-2010, 10:35 AM

The best advise I can give for kitchen cleaning is, always put the hardest to clean cookware in hot soapy water for some time before starting to wash the dishes.

**MakeADollarHollar** · 05-06-2010, 07:59 PM

My Super-Duper Bestest Secret for cutting grime is Krud Kutter.

I first found it in Sherwin Williams when I was gutting and remodelling the house. I've since seen it at Lowe's. This stuff is AMAZING! It's a super concentrated soap type product. It gets rid of ink, bubble gum, paint splatters, candle wax, blood, that greasy/sticky feeling that you get on the tops of your cabinets or fridge, tobacco stains/yellowing, everything I've tested it on it has taken care of. I even think you can even use it in the laundry. And it doesn't smell "chemically". It has a nice fresh scent which I like.

I have all white appliances that are now pushing 9 years old and they still sparkle like new (except for the side of fridge next to the dish strainer that sometimes gets wet and is now rusting, UGH.) I even use it on the coffee maker, toaster and microwave and they are as clean as the day I bought them. The only thing I don't use it on is my kitchen cabinets. I think it might remove the finish but can't remember for sure. On those I just Clorox Kitchen Cleaner.

**Spikey1341** · 06-02-2010, 04:46 PM

For those hard to clean stains around the burners on the stove I use oven cleaner. Spray in on let it sit a little and wipe up.

**mathew** · 06-18-2010, 05:56 AM

There are several cleaning products available in the market, but I personally prefer hot water, mild detergent and dilute vinegar for cleaning the cooking area, and think it works really well.

**Ceashels** · 06-18-2010, 07:53 AM

I'm becoming more of a clean as I go person which is helpful. My biggest sticking point is the dish washer ... if it is full and clean but still loaded up the extra dishes go in the sink. If I have it emptied and ready to receive dirty dishes... my sink stays clear. I now try to empty it the morning after it gets ran and that has helped.

My counter space is limited and finding homes for appliances is difficult. The less I have on my counter the cleaner it seems to stay.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 06-18-2010, 10:59 AM

My first step?

Remove all of the clutter.

If you have more stuff than will fit into your storage areas, purge it. Once you've purged it and gotten rid of all of the stuff that doesn't need to be on the counter and/or in the sink, go ahead and wipe everything down with some bleach water and a rag. Spray the windows and clean them with homemade window cleaner. Sweep and mop the floor daily. Wipe up any spills the moment that they happen. If you need something better than bleach water, I'd suggest baking soda and vinegar water.

**Paws** · 06-18-2010, 11:31 PM

Originally Posted by Ceashels

I'm becoming more of a clean as I go person which is helpful. My biggest sticking point is the dish washer ... if it is full and clean but still loaded up the extra dishes go in the sink. If I have it emptied and ready to receive dirty dishes... my sink stays clear. I now try to empty it the morning after it gets ran and that has helped.

My counter space is limited and finding homes for appliances is difficult. The less I have on my counter the cleaner it seems to stay.

In the kitchen, my favorite cleaners are Windex and Clorox clean up...and no, I don't use them with each other...that could be bad news...
Ceashels-I have the same problem at my house and I'm working on it also...somedays are better than others...

**PennyWise** · 06-19-2010, 07:32 AM

Originally Posted by beks37

Every day after cooking, I take a wet washcloth and wipe everything down. Once a week or so I spray everything down with Orange 409. It works like magic on the appliances and make everything sparkly clean. Now, the stove top....that's another story because I can't seem to get or keep it clean. It's has a ceramic top and each burner has a black ring or part of a black ring around it. It takes a lot of elbow grease to get those looking decent!

A spray degreaser and a magic eraser works wonders on flat top stoves, then polish with a little windex afterward.