With so many families today having to split their time between regular work schedules and everyday home centered duties like cooking, clearing away dishes, helping children with schoolwork, taking care of the family pet and getting children bathed and ready for bed, it’s not surprising that a kitchen cleaning regimen can become limited at best.

Bare Bones Cleaning

Minimal or bare bones cleaning in a kitchen can result in grime and dirt buildup that is difficult to remove, particularly in and around appliances as well as on the surface and the interior of appliances. There are ways to deep clean your kitchen through procedures that are both thorough, easy and inexpensive. Here are some of the most helpful and productive:

Stove and Oven Cleaning

With any stove, whether gas or electric, the first thing to do in a deep clean process is to remove gas grates and electric heating elements (that have been cooled). For gas grate cleaning the following steps can be applied:

Gas grate cleaning 

• Place grates in a dish or sink with hot water and dish detergent (blue detergent is helpful)
• Allow the grates to soak while the top cooking area is being cleaned
• One trick with grates is to use a quarter cup of ammonia placed in a large resealable plastic bag. The ammonia fumes should help to remove set in grease and grit on the grates.
• Once clean, rinse and dry the grates

Electric coil/heating element cleaning

– Once detached from the stove area, gently wipe the coils with a wet and soapy dishcloth or sponge. Avoid the electrical connections.
– For any set in grime and grease, use a baking soda and water paste and apply it to the coils. Allow it to remain on the coils for about 20 minutes.
– Scrub or sponge away any grime and grease, rinse and reinsert the burners

Stove Flat Cooktops

Though less susceptible to the buildup of grime, grit, grease, crumbs and other food debris, most cooktops are considerably easier to clean, but can show accumulation from every day cooking. Cleaning different cooktop types includes:

Glass Cooktop Cleaning

• Remove any debris with a scraper and then prepare a baking soda and water paste
• Cover the cooktop area surface and allow the baking soda mixture to remain for 20 minutes
• Use a soft and wet microfiber cloth to remove the mixture and allow to dry

Oven Cleaning

Face it, no one likes to clean an oven, particularly its interior, but here are a few ways to speed up the process:

• Detach oven knobs
• Remove oven racks
• Make a thin coat of baking soda and water paste (enough to cover the exterior/interior of the oven)
• Do this cleaning on a day when cooking and baking won’t occur
• Allow the baking soda paste to remain up to 12 hours
• Place the oven knobs and racks in a large container or bathtub
• Fill the tub with soap and water (preferably a blue detergent grease and grime fighter)
• Leave the knobs and racks in the soap and detergent overnight
• The following day, use a moist cloth or a sponge to clean any remaining grime on the racks
• With the oven interior, remove the baking soda mixture with a wet rag and then spray the inside of the oven with vinegar and proceed to wipe it down
• Once the knobs and racks have been cleaned and wiped, replace them

Dishwasher Cleaning

Whatever type of dishwasher you have, older or newer, there are easy steps to keeping it clean.

• Remove the racks and any trays
• Make a baking soda and water paste
• Scrub the drain area with the paste
• Use a vinegar soaked rag to wipe the dishwasher’s seal
• Take one or two cups of vinegar and pour it in the dishwasher’s interior bottom area
• Run the dishwasher

Refrigerator Cleaning

Cleaning a refrigerator can be a daunting task, but there are ways to streamline it and make it easier. Here are some quick steps in the process:

• Get rid of any food that is old, rotten, moldy or wilted
• Pull out everything else and place any items on an island, counter or tabletop
• Remove the racks, drawers, and shelves
• Allow them to soak in a tub of mild, soapy water
• Combine vinegar and water in a spray bottle and spray it inside the refrigerator
• Wipe it out thoroughly
• Take the racks, drawers and shelves from the soapy water and rinse them of any debris
• Dry them well and return them to the refrigerator

Range Hood Cleaning

A range hood can get nasty because of drawing in dust, cooking smoke, grease, food specks and other debris that clings to the hood filter, which is likely the dirtiest area on your hood. There are ways to get the job done quickly that include:

• Taking out the filter (simply pull or pop it out of its vent)
• Put it in a plugged kitchen skin and pour boiling water in the sink.
• Add dish detergent (the blue kind) and a quarter cup (1/4) of baking soda
• Mix the water around with a long-handled utensil and let the filter soak for about 10 minutes
• Using a soft brush, scrub the filter then rinse it well and dry it with a soft cloth
• Wipe the range hood with a soapy dishrag, cloth or microfiber cloth
• Dry the hood with a clean and dry cloth

Backsplash Cleaning

A backsplash can accumulate some of the same grease, grime, dirt and food debris that a range hood does. In order to give it a quick yet thorough cleaning, follow these simple steps:

• Spray the backsplash or use a soapy dish rag for stainless steel
• Use an over the counter spray cleaner for ceramic or other types of backsplashes
• Let the cleaner or soap remain on the backsplash for at least 20 minutes to a half hour.
• Wipe and dry with a soft cloth

All of these deep cleaning steps and ideas are easy to follow, plus they are time savers, labor savers and money savers. They make a deep cleaning kitchen routine less dreaded than first thought and can be easily repeated on a more regular basis. If you want to know more about deep cleaning your kitchen or have other inquiries, complete the online contact form, and a representative will get back to you with the answers you need.