SEASONAL KITCHEN CLEANING TASKS TO TACKLE

The kitchen is the room in the house that probably gets the most wear and tear, grease and grime, more than any other room in the house. Kitchen cleaning occurs nearly daily, but their are still some heavier tasks that we only tackle on a seasonal, or perhaps even yearly basis. These are bigger jobs, but don’t be discouraged, with the right house cleaning products and tools you can make quick work of even some of the messiest cleaning chores.

Given that Better Life Maids is a green house clean service, we encourage our clients to use green products when they do their own cleaning. In fact we are affiliated with one of the leaders in the natural household cleaning product market, Better Life. The entire line of Better Life products are safe and effective, and can tackle even some of the toughest jobs in the kitchen. Let’s look at some of the jobs will be tackling and how the Better Life line of natural household cleaning products can make the job easier, and of course safer.

Refrigerator:

Do you really need all those jars of condiments and sauces? Do you remember the last time you used some of them? If the answer is no and no, then you can reliably throw them out; they probably aren’t any good anymore anyway.

Remove everything else from the fridge (this is a good chore to do right before you restock) and wipe down or even pull out and wash the shelves. Also, remove the crisper drawers and give them a good cleaning. All of the inside can be cleaned with Better Life’s Whatever, a heavy duty multi-purpose cleaner that is tough on grease, grime, stains, and more, but easy on your lungs, eyes, skin, and more. Remember you keep food in the fridge, you don’t want to use harsh chemicals in there.

If any grime is really stuck on you can use Whatever with an abrasive scrubber. Just be gentle and make sure not to bear down to hard with the scrubbing surface.

If you have glass shelves in the fridge, use Better Life’s I Can See Clearly Wow glass and surface cleaner. You will get a streak free clean without any toxic residue.

With the refrigerator completely empty, you can also wipe down the sides, top, back and bottom of the box. Also really clean the rubber seals well. This helps condition them, so they last longer and are soft and supple to create a better and more efficient seal.

If possible, pull the fridge out from the wall and clean underneath and behind it. Clean the coils, if they’re visible. This will help the refrigerator run more efficiently.

Don’t forget to turn the fridge back on when you finish if you turned up the thermostat.

While we’re on the subject, you can put (most) of your refrigerator magnets in the dishwasher for a thorough cleaning. Use a mesh bag or a pantyhose leg to keep them together if your dishwasher doesn’t have a place for small items.

Cabinets:

For optimum cleanliness, your kitchen cabinet shelves should be wiped down at least once per year. As you do so, check the lining as that might need replacing, too. You have many choices of liners – from ribbed to soft and cushy to flat and ridiculously easy to wipe down.

Be sure to wipe off the inside of the doors as well as the outside. If your cabinets are made of wood, they might benefit from a cleaning with Better Life’s Oak-E-Dokey to remove dirt, grime, polish and old wax, and to condition the wood. Once you have spent the time to clean and polish them, you will be amazed at how muh better they look.

Coffee Maker:

Clean your coffee maker with full strength white vinegar. This will clean the gunk out of it and help it work more efficiently. You can re-use this same vinegar up to 5 times, so be sure to save it.

Microwave:

When was the last time you inspected your microwave? If it’s caked with baked on reminders of former meals, it’s time to spruce it up. Instead of attempting to scrub the microwave, it’s much easier to put a measuring cup full of water inside, bring the water to a boil and then let the resulting steam settle into the baked on mess. After a few minutes, remove the water and wipe the now soft remains away easily. Better Life’s Whatever will help removing any residual stains, and leave it with a nice finish. You can use I Can See Clearly Wow for a streak free finish on the inside and outside glass, rotating tray, and any other glass surfaces.

Oven:

If you turn on your oven only to be greeted by smells of long-since eaten meals, it’s due for a thorough cleaning. In days gone by, cleaning the oven was an all day chore filled with messiness and extreme chemical smells. For the most part, modern ovens have made these chemicals and processes obsolete. I simply recommend running the self cleaning cycle of your oven, and wiping out the ashes. You may want to do this while you are away for a few hours, as it is not the most pleasant smell in the world, but it is much safer than the toxic acids of years past.

Any residual stains you can scrub away safely with Better Life’s Even The Kitchen Sink liquid abrasive and an abrasive sponge or specialty scrubbing micro-fiber towel.