Here are some useful tips that will make cleaning easier in your kitchen and the rest of the house! Try them and save not only money but on cleaning aggravation!
One Trick To Cut Kitchen Cleaning In HALF and make cleaning easier!
I did a couple of small things today that I thought might help you make cleaning easier in your home. Here are some quick cleaning ideas:
I see so many people with these plastic scrapers always scraping away at kitchen counters and it never really dawned on me that I have never had to use one before. I didn’t know why until today.
One of the key rules of professional cleaners is to let your cleaning products do the work for you. I didn’t realize it but my mom taught me this many years ago when I started doing dishes. I always rinse my dirty dishes and then place as many dishes as I can into the hot soapy water in the sink.
Before I start washing my dishes, I take my super wet and soapy dish rag and run it quickly over all the kitchen counter tops and the stove. I’m not really wiping it, I’m just getting a nice film of soapy water on it.
Then I wash my dishes. When I’m done, I thoroughly wring out my dish rag and re-wipe the counters. When I do it this way, every bit of pancake batter, syrup and honey wipes right up. This works every time and I never have to scrape my kitchen counters.
I don’t do this every time I do dishes. If we only have sandwiches I know there is probably not much sticky stuff on the counter so I wash the dishes without focusing so much on the counters ahead of time.
Years later, this practice worked for me even better because it forced me to put all the dishes into the sink and get my counters cleared. When I had unexpected customers or company, even though the dishes weren’t done, the counters all looked cleared and nice.
I also had to clean my trash can today. I took it outside, filled it full with soapy water and a little Clorox bleach. I placed the lid and a broom that needed to be cleaned into the water and let them soak for a couple of hours. Later, I went out and all I had to do was rinse them. I didn’t even need a rag or anything. All that nasty sticky stuff that gets in the bottom of the trash can just dissolved away. When you can, let things soak.
-Jill
Jill, I just want to say, YOU WERE RIGHT!!! You mentioned how wiping down counters with soapy water eliminates the need for scrubbing and scrapers and will make cleaning easier. Well, I’ve needed to clean the dreaded microwave for a while now. Every time I’d heat something in it I’d cringe and put off cleaning it because of all the food stuck to the inside.
Well, I took your advice. I got my dish rag nice and soapy and wiped down the entire microwave first. Then I went over to the sink and wiped down the glass microwave plate with hot soapy water and let it sit, too. Then I went back to the microwave and really started cleaning. Everything came off quite easily.
After finishing rinsing the plate, I realized that this “dreaded task” only took five minutes. Who knew?
Thanks! Sarah
Mom always says the best cleaner is hot soapy water. Use it more and you will save more!!! :-)
-Tawra
Hot soapy water and soaking work wonders!
-Jill
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I always fill a mug with water and put it in the microwave for a couple minutes and when it is done everything comes off quite easily. You have to make sure that the water is steaming, with different microwaves a couple minutes might be too much or too little. Anyway, this works well for me. Have a great day!
Me too! I use the steamy hot water for the soap/water mixture. I let it cool just enough so I don’t hurt my hands, then wipe it down. Hate to waste good hot soapy water.
Someone gave me a microwave cleaning figure of s housewife type figure with her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. It allows you to fill it halfway with water and put it in the microwave for two to three minutes. You can watch as steam comes out of her head!
Then you easily wipe off all the old food that comes right off. It’s an amusing way to clean. I think it is called Mad Momma.
grandma used to do this but add a slice of lemon to the water… if there was something really gunky like, then she would sprinkle some baking soda and scrub with the hot soapy water… years later she would make a baking soda paste, put on yucky surface and use a bit of peroxide and then clean with the hot soapy water…
I fill a 1 cup measureing cup with water and a little bit of lemon juice and put it in microwave on high for 5 minutes give water a minute to cool than just wipe down the microwave. Kitchen smells lemony too.
I squeeze a lemon into a jug of water and then zap it for 5-10 minutes until the microwave has steamed up. This loosens up the dirt for me and makes it smell a bit better.
I do the same thing with water in the microwave, but I also put my dish sponge in there. I run it long enough for the water to heat to temperatures where it will disinfect the sponge. As a bonus, having the sponge in the dish keeps the water from exploding all over (as it can when it’s overheated but bubbles don’t have a surface on which they can form – that’s why some people will put a wooden skewer in water when microwaving it.)
I sometimes put vinegar in the water before I microwave and then use the vinegar water to wipe down the whole kitchen, including the microwave.
I used to work with high purity water systems, and found out that high purity water is the closest thing there is to a ‘universal solvent’. (Look at the Grand Canyon.) When you add any kind of soap or detergent to even hard water to break the surface tension, it will clean almost anything with a little time and elbow grease. Also, adding purified or distilled water to any kind of liquid soap or shampoo (up to 50%/50%) will make it work better!
That is the same idea as using vinegar or water softener in your laundry. It breaks up the mineral build up or minerals and makes it clean better and get rid of the residue. You don’t have to rinse as much either or use as much cleaner.
Do you use the vinegar in place of fabric softener? Or do you add it right in with your laundry detergent?
You can use it in place of fabric softener if you want. I like the smell of fabric softener so what I do is just add vinegar and Borax in with my laundry detergent once every few months to get rid of the build up and then go back to using just detergent and fabric softener. Sometimes I will add the fabric softener when I use the vinegar.
I finally decided to do this hot soapy water thing with my stove about 2 weeks ago… I thought, the cleaning won’t be as thorough and I’ll likely have to go through the process again later with something better… but I wanted the crusty, dusty ouily messes to go away and I didn’t have the normal 45 minutes to get it done. I took off the grates, stacked the burner fixtures, scrubbed on a heavy layer of soapy water than washed all my dishes, 10 minutes later i just grabbed a nice towel rag, wet it down and wiped off the soapyness… it had worked well… (stood in awe) I wiped the stove down again with a dry towel, did a few scrubs on some old hard peices of whatever and my stove looked very clean… So thank you, I have changed my ways and will not put off cleaning the stove tope anymore. Simple soap and a little time is just fine after all.
For the microwave, I keep a small stack of paper (not plastic or foam) plates by the microwave to cover anything I am heating. Preventing spills and splatters is easier than cleaning them.
I found a round, domed casserole dish lid (Pyrex) at the thrift store which fits well over most of our bowls and will cover over a dinner plate of food for reheating. Not only does it keep the spatters contained but it also keeps most foods moister when reheating.
just got new stainless steel refregerator.said no cleaner.just water and dry clothe.not getting it ,any suggestion. finger prints driving me nuts
They are a pain to take care of but here are a couple of things you can try.
White vinegar
Olive Oil or baby oil
soap and water
Just use a few drops of the olive oil or baby oil on a rag and rub. Sometimes just hot soapy water then dry with a dry cloth will work. Many people use just regular window cleaner but the vinegar would do the same as that.
I used to work in a restaurant and we used rubbing alcohol to clean the stainless steel pie cases. (I don’t know if that would be safe on her fridge, since it says no cleaners, but she could call the mfg and find out.)
I also used it in a plant that manufactured IV bags. We cleaned the stainless steel parts of the machines. We were removing packing tape residue. Rubbing alcohol removes tape residue easily and makes the stainless shiny! It is wonderful to remove fingerprints.
Hi Jill,
I read somewhere to put Vinegar and Olive Oil in a small spray bottle to use and then you have it ready for use. I did that, but don’t remember the ratio of the vinegar or Olive Oil. It was more vinegar and less olive oil. That is what I done and keep the small spray bottle close close to the stove on the counter top.
Yes that is a goood tip Donnice. I imagine the ratio could be too to your own taste.
I found that placing a bowl of warm water in the microwave and turning the heat to high for a minute perhaps two, depending on how dirty the oven is, then taking a wet cloth wipe the top, then the back and sides of the microwave. The turn table and rest can be soaked in a sink with hot tap water. Soap and then rinse. Place the turntable back in and there you have it.
I also do the quick soak on my kitchen floor. Sometimes I use laundry detergent and/or oxiclean in hot water for my floor, then go around and do a light scrubbing. Then I mop it up with an old towel.
I have rolled out linoleum. Don’t use this on laminate flooring! Bad idea…
Speaking of microwaves, I’ve found that by bringing a large (6-8 cup) measuring cup full of water to a boil, then leaving it in the microwave, helps bread dough to rise. I put the bowl of bread dough in the microwave after the water has come to a boil, and it really does help it to rise within an hour. It’s a nice, warm place for yeast to work.
Wonderful Idea, I’m going to try this for breads. Thank you Jeanne.
Grandma Dorothy taught me the soak the counters trick with a spritz of white vinegar, not just for counters, we did it with her gardening supplies, pots, and anything that was ‘gunky’ or in need of a good scrub … without the scrubbing.
Try spraying your smelly kitchen trash can with a spray bottle of isopropyl alcohol—about a dollar for a large. bottle! Wipe down with a paper towel—-cheap and KILLS the nasty smell and germs. Tommie in Abilene
I made my own dish washer soap and it left soap residue on all the dishes tried the second time with heated dry off with the same result. I used the recipe from chemerical using vinegar castile soap water and lemon juice. Do you have any suggestions?
Ursula here is a different recipe from Dining on a Dime that many have had success with you might try. Homemade Dish Washer Soap
Great advice as always! After reading this blog post I had a niggling suspicion that I may have missed a step from your ‘How to Clean a Burnt Pan’ video Tawra! I had tried it with a pot when your video first came out on Youtube. I added the water and the baking soda, boiled as you suggested…BUT then I got impatient, thought I was done and scrubbed the pan right away. I missed the ‘leave to sit for 5 to 10 minutes’ step. It had cleaned some of the burnt off the bottom of the pan but not all of it and I was contemplating buying a new pan as I thought it was too badly burned to be salvaged. Low and behold on my second attempt I let it sit a while and the burnt mess all came off beautifully. Thanks Tawra, not only did you save me the expense of a new pan…but also made me more aware of double checking instructions next time I try something new ;)
Lol Jennifer. Your comment reminds me of what happens sometimes with our recipes. People will e mail us and say that the recipe didn’t work for them. Come to find out they didn’t have this ingredient and that ingredient and substituted 2-3 different things and could not figure out what the recipe didn’t turn out right. Thank you for your comment. I had to smile when I read it.
Hi Jill!
I’m old school lol! Brought up in the 50’s and my grandma always said “hot soapy water and an old dish rag
not only cleans but makes for a good smell” lo!I. I can see my grandma now standing with her apron on around those paisley dresses she used to wear, When we were brought up we always used soap and water and vinger to clean,If they made store bought stuff we wouldnt have had the money to buy it. I learned to can,sew crochet and embroidery and tat from her
Thanks for the advice :)
I put an old newspaper in the bottom of the trash can to absorb some moisture and odor. I recycle the newspaper.
I agree. Nothing beats good old soap and water for almost everything. Saves money, and a lot less cleaning products to store.
The best thing I have found to clean ceramic and/or glass stovetops is a Magic Eraser. I buy the generic brand at Walmart or get them at BigLots for the best bang for my buck.
Tips for cleaning a completely gross oven would really be appreciated!!!! I dread this job!!