Your Strategy
Clear counters, empty dishwasher- Do the takes-time-to-work stuff first: Set a coffee mug half-filled with water in the microwave and cook on high for two minutes to steam-clean the inside. Then apply a degreasing cleaner to the stove top and stove hood.
- Spray counters, surfaces and appliances with an all-purpose cleaner, then work your way around the kitchen, wiping down everything you sprayed.
- Wipe out the microwave, stove and oven.
- Clean the sink with an all-purpose cleaner (a squirt of dish liquid on a sponge works fine).
- Sweep or vacuum the floor, then mop or hand-wash using a mild cleaner and a damp rag.
Trouble Spots
Fridge: Use warm soapy water to clean the inside of the refrigerator and freezer. Or blend your own cleanser by mixing 2 Tbsp. baking soda in a quart of hot water. A toothbrush works wonders on the rubber seals.Stove hood: Borrow Lysol Basin Tub & Tile Cleaner from the bathroom and spray directly under your greasy stove hood, let it sit, then wipe with a damp sponge. Cover your stove top with newspaper to catch any messy drips.
What’s Easy to Overlook
The oven: If you’re lucky, you have a self-cleaning oven. If you don’t, and you want to avoid harsh oven cleaners containing lye and ammonia, Mary Findley, co-author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Cleaning, suggests making a paste of a degreasing cleaner (like Bi-O-Kleen All Purpose Cleaner-Degreaser or Orange Clean Pro Multi-Purpose Cleaner & Degreaser) and baking soda. Plaster it in a cold oven and leave for a couple of hours. Scrub dirt loose, then rinse with a solution of vinegar and water. Turn oven to 350ºF for five minutes to “bake off” any fumes that might harm your food.
Note: If you do use a chemical-based stove cleaner, it’s especially important to follow the “bake-off” step.
Your Secret Weapons
Dawn Power Dissolver: Perfect for cleaning burned-on grime off your stove backsplash! Spray it on, let it work for 10 to 15 minutes, then wipe the stove clean.
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser: The soft cleaning pad acts just like an eraser — and rubs greasy fingerprints and smudges off kitchen surfaces.
Nature’s Miracle Pick: up this enzyme cleaner at a pet store. To keep your drains clog-free, pour the solution down your drains once a month, where it will gobble up mold, mildew and debris.
