Cleaning the Kitchen
What's the best way to clean an oven?
For electric (non-self-cleaning) ovens:
Most commercial oven cleaners contain lye and must be handled with extreme
care. Oven cleaner will eat into your fingers if you get it on your skin.
To apply oven cleaner:
- Protect yourself with long sleeves and rubber gloves, as well as safety
goggles and a paper mask.
- Put down newspapers or a drop cloth on the surrounding floor to protect your kitchen.
- Paint or spray the cleaner on according to directions. Apply a thick,
even coat and leave it on a overnight.
- Most oven cleaners will work faster in a warm oven.
- Keep the spray off wires, light bulbs, thermostats, and elements. (Consider
wrapping these in aluminum foil before you begin.)
- Remove the oven door, spray it and set it aside.
To remove oven cleaner:
Again, make sure you're well protected.
- Use paper towels to remove the worst of the sludge. Dispose of the
used paper towels in a garbage bag.
- You may also scrape off the initial layer with a small squeegee or
a rubber spatula that is not used for cooking.
- After removing most of the mess, wipe the interior with a water-dampened
sponge or cloth until the residue is gone. Use two buckets to make this
job easier. Fill one bucket with water and fill the other just a quarter
full. Once your sponge gets loaded up, squeeze it into the quarter-full
bucket and rinse out the heavy soil. Then dip the sponge into the full
bucket to refill it with water. Repeat until the surface is clean, squeezing
the sludge only into the slop bucket.
- If the cleaner dried any overnight, lightly apply oven cleaner to
the affected areas to re-soften it. The residue should come right off.
- If you still have stubborn spots, reapply cleaner to the holdout areas
and leave it on for at least 30 minutes.
- After most of the sludge is gone, dampen a cloth in vinegar water
to neutralize the alkaline residue and make rinsing easier.
After cleaning the inside, wash the outside of the stove and around the
oven with all-purpose cleaner or degreasing solution. Don't forget the
edges and undersides of doors and drawers where drips tend to collect.
To clean oven racks:
- Take the racks outside and lay them on newspapers.
- Spray both sides with oven cleaner.
- Place them where children and pets can't reach them and let them sit.
- The next day, hose them off and then wipe them dry.
For gas ovens:
- Before doing anything, consult the manufacturer's directions.
- Generally, do not start cleaning until you turn off the gas valve.
- Clean the interior of the oven like a conventional oven.
- If you have a slide-out range drawer for broiling, clean with oven cleaner and degrease.
- Soak removable pans and other parts, as long as they're not aluminum,
in ammonia water for several hours. (Mix four ounces of ammonia per
gallon of water.)
- When you finish cleaning, re-light the pilot light(s).
For self-cleaning ovens:
If you have a self-cleaning oven, never use caustic oven cleaners. And,
if you'd like to try to avoid all the caustic oven cleaners, you can leave
a pan of ammonia in the oven overnight.
How do I clean the microwave?
If you wipe the microwave out after each use, you may never have to do
a serious cleaning. Also remember to cover dishes with a paper towel to
keep spatters off the walls.
To remove globs of food:
- Dampen a paper towel, cloth or white nylon-backed scrub sponge with
dish detergent and water, and wipe.
- If food remains stuck, boil a ˝ cup of water in the microwave for several minutes.
- To loosen any remaining crud, let the water stand without opening
the door for several more minutes.
- Add a little lemon juice or a dash or two of pumpkin pie spice to
the water to remove lingering odors.
Because many parts are plastic, including the windows on some models,
do not use metal scrapers, steel wool, or powdered cleansers on your microwave,
as they could scratch or cause damage. Only use non-abrasive products
on the outside of your microwave and the seal around the door. Abrasive
pads or cleaners can mar the finish and may damage the seal.
Spray and wipe the exterior with all-purpose or glass cleaner and a soft
cloth. When you're done cleaning, push the CLEAR button to erase any instructions
you may have inadvertently set.
How do I clean my dishwasher inside and out?
To clean the outside of your dishwasher, spray the exterior with all-purpose
cleaner or glass cleaner, and wipe with a cleaning cloth. While your cloth
is still damp with cleaner, wipe clean the control panel, knobs and buttons.
To avoid odors, occasionally check the drain and remove any scraps of
food. Clean any splatters from the edges of the door. The interior of
a dishwasher cleans itself.
Any darkening, browning, or scale inside is caused by minerals in the
water. Depending on the cause, there are a number of ways to remove them.
These procedures can be repeated as needed.
To remove dark spots:
- Scrub the dark spots with a white, nylon-backed scrub sponge and a
gentle cleanser. Never use anything that will scratch and damage the finish.
- Run the rinse cycle when you're done.
To remove light lime deposits in the dishwasher in hard-water areas:
- Empty the dishwasher and start it on the rinse and hold cycle.
- Open the door during the fill and add 1/2 cup white vinegar to the water.
- Let the cycle finish.
To remove heavier deposits:
- Start the empty dishwasher at the main wash cycle.
- Open the door and add one cup Lime-A-Way (or similar cleaner), or phosphoric acid cleaner to the water.
- Let the entire wash cycle finish.
To remove brown, red, or black deposits caused by iron or manganese in the water:
- Start the empty dishwasher on the rinse and hold cycle.
- While the machine is filling, open the door and add 1/2 cup rust remover
to the water. (Rust remover can be purchased from a janitorial supply store.)
- Allow the cycle to finish.
Any clues for cleaning kitchen cabinets?
If the kitchen is the heart of the home, you have to expect your kitchen
cabinets to get their share of grease and grime. The oil slick that has
developed on your cabinets (especially around the handles) is a mix of
kitchen grease, food smears, skin oil, and hand lotion that's transferred
to the doors. According to the professionals at Furniture Medic, regular
all-purpose cleaners won't cut through that combination, which explains
the stubborn stickiness. Here are their recommendations for returning
kitchen cabinets to their clean and smooth best.
You should only have to give your kitchen cabinets a good washing every
year or so. Keep a spray bottle of all-purpose cleaner within reach all
year round to spot-clean after heavy kitchen use.
Most cabinets are factory-manufactured and -finished, and even wooden
ones have enough varnish or other protective coating on them to use a
cleaning solution safely. However, never use acids or powdered cleansers
on cabinets.
Cleaning manmade materials
If your cabinets are plastic laminate (Formica®) or other plastic, metal,
painted metal or glass, you can wash them all over with a strong alkaline
cleaner purchased from a janitorial supply store, or a heavy-duty cleaner
from the supermarket. Follow these steps:
- Mix the cleaner according to the product's directions.
- Apply the solution with a sponge and let it sit a minute or two.
- Scrub lightly where needed with a white, nylon-backed sponge.
- Squeeze the grimy suds from your sponge into the sink or a slop market,
not into your cleaning solutions.
- Rinse with a damp cloth and wipe dry with a terry cleaning cloth.
This will remove any last traces of scum, and leave the cupboards clean
and gleaming.
Cleaning wood cabinets
Wooden cabinets may get just as dirty, but they're a bit more delicate.
To remove the tough gunk, Furniture Medic offers these hints:
- First, wash around the handles and any other grease zones with liquid
dishwashing detergent – a gentle degreaser.
- Then, wash the entire cabinet with oil soap solution, including the
handle areas you have already cleaned.
- Wipe lightly with the solution, taking care not to saturate the surface,
then buff dry immediately with a terry cleaning cloth.
- Always wipe dry with the grain or pattern, if there is one.
Unless your cabinets are dull from wear or age, rarely will you need
to add any polish. The surface will reveal its own sheen when it is clean.
If cabinets remain dull after cleaning due to age or wear, lightly spray
furniture polish about once a year to fill in the wood's pores and restore
its beauty.
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Let the professionals from
Merry Maids
keep your kitchen looking great.
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