How to Get Your Kitchen Sparkling Clean

TheNest.com

By Jerri Farris for TheNest.com

When you think about it, you practically spend as much time in your kitchen as you do your bedroom -- and it can get just as messy. Follow our easy plan to keep it looking more fab than frat-house.

Clean Weekly:
Appliance faces: Use a mild cleaner or make a paste of baking soda and water to clean. Dissolve grease on the stovetop with a sponge soaked in white vinegar.
Microwave: Soak the turntable in sudsy water while you wipe up interior splatters. Or try a steam clean: Fill a microwave-safe glass with 2 cups of water and either 1 teaspoon of vanilla or a few slices of lemon. Run on high for 5 minutes and wipe the sweet-smelling interior clean with a paper towel. Here's some more expert advice on cleaning your microwave.
Countertops: Spray on an all-purpose cleaner (or run disposable wipes over the surface) and let it sit 10 minutes.
Sink: Pour down several quarts of boiling water to flush out grease. Follow with 1 cup of white vinegar and scrub the basin with baking soda.
Floors: Wash tile or stone floors with 1 cup vinegar and 1 gallon of water. For icky grout, mix 1 Tbl. bleach and 2 cups warm water. Scrub with an old toothbrush.

How to do laundry like a pro

Clean Monthly:
Oven: If you don't have a self-clean oven, sprinkle salt on the residue while the oven is still warm. When it cools, scrape it up with a spatula and wipe clean with a cloth. Got stuck-on crud? Use a nylon scrubby sponge dipped in soapy hot water.
Fridge: Wash the interior with a solution of baking soda and warm water, about 1/2 cup of baking soda for every gallon of water. Clean the drain pan and vacuum underneath the refrigerator. Read more fridge-cleaining tips here.
Garbage can: Hose it down with hot water; then spray with a disinfectant.
Cabinets: Wipe them down with 1/2 cup white vinegar or a solution of 1/4 cup liquid oil soap and 1 gallon of warm water.
Dishwasher: Run a complete cycle with an empty machine (just detergent) for a clean, deodorized space.

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