Cleaning the kitchen is one of those less-than-thrilling household chores that simply have to be done.In fact, when NSF International, the public health and safety organization, conducted a study to find the ‘germiest room in the home’, they discovered it was the kitchen! Clearly, scrubbing this area – where our food is prepared – should be a top priority…but that doesn’t mean we can’t take a few shortcuts! Try these nifty cleaning hacks and tricks to enjoying a sparkling kitchen with minimal effort.
Microwave cleaning hacks
Your microwave isn’t just an appliance for heating and cooking food, but can also be used to help you clean. But a clean microwave is needed in order to clean with your microwave too. In this section, we’ll talk about how to naturally clean your microwave and what other cleaning uses it has.
Make the Microwave Sparkle by Zapping Vinegar
Steam clean the inside of your microwave by heating a bowl of vinegar and water for ten minutes, before wiping. Top tip: place a wooden item like a spoon or chopstick in the bowl to avoid the risk of superheated liquid.
Sanitize Sponges in the Microwave
With up to one million bacteria per square inch on an average dish cloth and a whopping 10 million per square inch on a kitchen sponge, these cleaning tools need regular sanitization! In the NSF study referenced above, kitchen sponges were found to be the germiest items in the entire house! To kill microbes and stay healthy, just zap the sponges in the microwave for two minutes.
Vinegar cleaning hacks
Vinegar is a powerful tool when it comes to cleaning. You can mix it with different things and power up its cleaning capabilities. It seems like there are few things that vinegar can’t do. In this section, we’re going to talk about how to use vinegar to clean just about everything in your home!
Unblock Stinky Drains with Baking Soda and Vinegar
In just five short minutes, you can loosen up grimy sludge and say goodbye to those disgusting odors emanating from the drain by using hot water, vinegar and baking soda.
Dissolve Water Stains with Vinegar
Hard water can leave a dull, white crust on all manner of shiny surfaces – from the sink to silverware to the fridge water dispenser. Gently rub vinegar into these stains to make your kitchen items gleam like new again.