Keep your kitchen equipment as good as new

Adonis Adoni Adonis Adoni
homify Modern houses
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The old idiom cleanliness is next to godliness is extremely relevant when it comes to your kitchen. Unlike popular belief, the largest playground for bacteria isn't the bathroom, it's the kitchen. Consider that the kitchen is the food factory and the social hub of the house, doesn't it seem imperative to keep it clean? Of course the sink, worktops and floor are always sparkling but the kitchen appliances usually stay on the to do list.

How many times did grease consume your oven? Or microwave walls get splattered with food spills? The importance of maintaining your kitchen electronics has added benefits: you will prolong their life-span. Your wallet will thank you if you devote time to keep an all-around shining kitchen!

Let’s see then how to keep your kitchen equipment as good as new!

Stove

The stove can also become a target of spillage, coffee stains and food debris. Similarly to an oven the aftermath of cooking can become hygienically hazardous when not cleaned.  Always remember as a precaution to switch off gas or electricity when dealing with the stove. Have you turned them off? Great!

Then take all the removable parts out of the stove and placed them in a heavy duty bag with about 4 litres of ammonia. After letting them bathe for a day in the ammonia take out the parts and dip them into soapy water, washing them with a scouring pad. Then rise away with a little water and let them dry. As for the rest of the stove, use an industrial cleaner. Follow the instructions on how it should be used and your stove will be brand new. 

If you have a ceramic stove top then your life will be a little easier. You can sprinkle lavishly baking soda on the stove and then spray it with a cleaning solution. After letting the mixture soaked for 20 to 30 minutes, scrub away with a cloth and use another cloth to wipe it clean. Is it shining yet?

Oven

When the oven after weeks or months of cooking has been left uncleaned, the accumulated grease and charred food turns into carbon. That will coat your food with a nice burning smell and in the long run the built up carbon will become a fire hazard.

Modern ovens might be self-cleaning by allowing you to turn them on to such high temperatures that will napalm all grease and charred. Check if there is such a setting. If you are the proud owner of a regular oven, remove the racks and soak them into warm and soapy water.  For the interior there are specialized solutions to use, but you can also make one by mixing baking soda and water. Essentially, baking soda can be your best friend in homemade cleaning solutions!

Let the cleaning solution soak for about an hour and make sure to target the greasy areas. After the hour has passed, use a scrubber to scratch away the loosen carbon and repeat the process one more time. You can use a dampened cloth to wipe out the remains. To maintain your oven between heavy cleanings, try using a baking paper to catch charred food and clean the spills after each use.

The microwave

The microwave is usually overlooked when it comes to cleaning. Well, not any more! Take a mug filled with water and lemon slices and place it in the microwave. Fire it up to full power for about 3 minutes and then let the lemon tainted water sit for another 3. The food spills will fall off and a citrus scent will captivate your senses.

As for the interior, damp a cloth in warm and soapy water and wipe away any debris. Don't forget to clean the turn-able dish! The exterior can be tackled with a cloth sprayed by an industrial or your homemade cleaner and make sure to get the fans. If you have a stainless steel microwave then dip a cloth in warm and soapy water and wax on, wax off away. For a spotless aftermath use a clean cloth.

Mixer

Let’s see how to clean the mixer. Usually, when we talk about a mixer we refer to the food processor depicted in the picture. Having that in mind, pop-off all removable parts and bathe them in a warm and soapy water. Make sure to dry them completely… unless you are a fun of rust.

Again, in a warm and soapy water hand wash the blender carafe and food processor. As for the bases, avoid at all cost to bring them close to water. Instead, use a slightly dampened cloth and wipe away the uncleanliness.

Fridge

If there is an appliance in your home that slaves to serve you it’s the fridge. Thus, its cleaning must be a habitual exercise. Try to clean spills in real time before they solidify and throw away anything that passed its expiration date.

For the fridge door use a dampened cloth in warm and soapy water. If your fridge is stainless steel there are appropriate cleaners that can be used. Keep in mind the door handles are usually places we pick with greasy fingers and as for the seals, a dampened cloth will again do the trick.

Regarding the shelves, remove them and use a combination of baking soda and water to wash them. It is better to avoid soap or industrial cleaners since they leave a scent behind. As for unwanted odours, storing leftovers in airtight containers will help eliminate them. And make sure to give a day off once in a while to your hard working servant by turning it off.

Kettle

Finally, the kettle is susceptible to the minerals of tap water. Have you ever noticed the white scaling on the bottom? That's minerals which slow down the process of heating. So, it’s crucial to keep it clean. Fill it up with three quarters of a balanced ratio between water and vinegar and bring it to boil.

Let the solution sit inside the kettle for about 20 minutes and then discard it. With a clean cloth wipe its interior. As you will notice the vinegar will leave a lingering odour, thus boil hot water in the kettle several times until the vinegar smell is gone.

If the kettle manufacturer strongly opposes the use of vinegar, then boil water with lemon slices and let it sit for an hour. Empty the water and sprinkle your best cleaning friend: baking soda. Then wipe it with a clean cloth and its brand new.

There are simple and effective ways to clean your appliances and make your kitchen look as good as new. By adopting these cleaning habits you will minimize hygienic issues and help your electronic survive the harsh reality of decay for a bit longer.

For more home cleaning tips, you might like to check out: Life Hacks: Household Stains.

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