How to Clean Your Kitchen Appliances
Cleaning your kitchen appliances is a necessary evil. Most of the time, you don’t think about cleaning smaller appliances until they become big cleaning jobs!
The trick is to clean kitchen appliances as you use them. When you don’t clean as you go, don’t worry – we have tips on how to make cleaning easier, even if it’s a caked-on mess!
Dishwasher
Your dishwasher,can be cleaned by running an empty cycle with vinegar in the soap dispensers.
Coffee Maker:
To clean your coffee maker, you have a few different choices. You can either fill the water reservoir with:
- 1/2 Cold water and 1/2 white vinegar
- Hot water + 2 tablespoons CLR (or another brand formulated to decalcify)
- Hot water and a denture tablet
Put a clean filter in the coffee maker and run it as usual. Be sure to run it at least once afterward with PLAIN water to get rid of cleaner remnant and any remaining build-up. I use white vinegar and run it twice with cold clean water afterward, just to be safe.
Microwave:
For the microwave, put some water in a microwave-safe bowl and heat it for about 3 minutes. This will soften up all the caked-on food in the microwave so you can easily wipe it away.
Toaster:
A great way to clean a toaster oven is to put a 1/2 cup of ammonia in it (with it turned off and unplugged), and let it sit overnight.
The fumes from the ammonia loosen up any grease stains and caked-on food so it’s easily wiped out the next day.
Pour that 1/2 of ammonia into 2 quarts of water to clean grease and grime off the kitchen window or plain tile (not painted) back splash. Ammonia also works well on chrome, but be sure to rinse it off well.
Can Openers
Yes, can openers can cut you, but there’s a better chance of them poisoning you! Think about the different things you open with your can opener – dog food, tuna, fruits, vegetables, and soups. Those foods and others grow bacteria that can make you sick the next time you use your can opener.
You should really clean it every time you use it by simply wiping off the blade with a soapy, damp dishrag. If the blade on your electric can opener isn’t removable, take a dry toothbrush to caked-on food. Then you should be able to clean off the rest with your soapy dishrag.
Refrigerator Coils
The most known (and probably least done!) kitchen job for your vacuum cleaner is to clean those coils underneath the front of your refrigerator.
We all know that we are supposed to do it, but we rarely actually do it. You should. It can make your refrigerator run more efficiently and keep dirt and debris from causing motor problems.
Range Hood And Oven:
The next vacuum job is only applicable if your range hood has removable filters. Take out both filters and vacuum each side. While your vacuum is out, you might as well open up the oven.
I know it’s unconventional, but if you have burned, crusty crumbs at the bottom, why not just suck them up? Just make sure that you haven’t used your oven any time recently. Do NOT suck up anything even remotely warm.
If the filters are metal you can give them a good soak in the sink or bathtub with hot soapy water and dishwashing liquid. Use a scrubby if needed to remove excess gunk. Rinse with more hot water, let air dry and reinstall
Cook-top:
Once in a while, lift up the cook top and use your vacuum hose to suck up any crumbs. Use a scrubber with some dish detergent to remove greasy spills. Open up that drawer underneath your oven and get all the crumbs that fall in there, too.
