Wouldn’t life be simpler if you could just throw everything into the dishwasher? Unfortunately, some messes require you to think outside the box. These tips will help you get the trickiest parts of your kitchen appliances clean and shiny — no elbow grease required.
Stovetop Burners and Drip Pans
If you’re setting off the smoke alarm before you even put a pan on the stove, your burners are due for a clean. Fortunately, there’s an effortless way to make them good as new.
To get your stovetop truly clean, lift the top to remove the grimy burners and drip pans. Then, spray the burners and pans with oven cleaner, and seal them in a plastic bag for 24 hours (in the meantime, you can always do your cooking with the microwave instead).
When the time is up, remove the pieces from the bag and rinse them in soapy water. Once dry, you can put them back into place and resume cooking.
Blenders
How many times have you scrubbed a blender from top to bottom, only to find that it still smells a bit off?
The combination of tight spaces and sharp blades make blenders one of the trickiest appliances to clean. It’s not enough just to rinse the blender down after each smoothie — to really get it clean, you’ll have to take it apart and wash the rubber gasket, which is usually the source of the funny smell.
Fortunately, you should only have to take it apart for a deep clean every so often. For a quick clean, fill the blender halfway with warm water, a drop of dish detergent, and a chopped lemon, then run it for 60 seconds. It’s as effective as washing it by hand and much easier.
Inside the Microwave
Cleaning inside of a microwave is awkward, especially if there’s food stuck to the ceiling. The trick is to give the microwave a steam-clean from the inside out before you clean by hand.
Fill a microwave-safe bowl with water and a lemon cut into four quarters. Place the bowl into the microwave and set it to cook on high for 10 minutes. As the water evaporates, the steam will loosen stains, while the lemon will tackle grease and neutralize any lingering food smells.
Afterwards, carefully remove the bowl using oven mitts, and clean the leftover bits with a sponge. The food should come off without much effort on your part, and the job will be done much faster than scrubbing alone.
Chrome Accents
Chrome is a stylish accent that gives appliances an appealingly retro flair. The downside of chrome? It tends to attract fingerprints. But there’s a surprisingly easy secret for cleaning and polishing chrome appliances like the contemporary classic refrigerators and kegerators: use a soft, dense foam block.
It may not look like much, but foam can be used to polish chrome perfectly without any risk of leaving a scratch. There is no need to add water or cleaners; just gently polish the chrome piece.
Inside the Dishwasher
You’ve probably wiped down the dishwasher door plenty of times, but how often have you cleaned it on the inside? Have you ever cleaned out the filter? Did you even know your dishwasher had a filter?
Cleaning inside the dishwasher is important if you want truly clean dishes. Take out the filter and rinse it under warm, soapy water. Then, run an empty dishwashing cycle with baking soda and hot water to clean the inside of the machine. Finally, check the rubber seal around the edges of the door for mould, and scrub them away with a sponge if necessary.
Since this is one job people often forget, it might help to mark a reminder on your calendar a few months down the road. Your dishes will thank you.