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Every kitchen needs a thorough deep cleaning once or twice a year.
Nowhere else, be it from cooking, baking or eating, is so much fat and dirt deposited on the surfaces.
But precisely because you work with food there, the kitchen should actually be the cleanest and most hygienic place in your home.
Splashes on the tiles, encrusted ovens, calcified fittings - with these tips and home remedies you can bring the kitchen back to a shine and make it a clean place of well-being.
1. Clean the burnt-in oven
If you don't have an oven that cleans itself at a high temperature, you have to run it yourself.
A self-made paste made of baking powder and water is suitable for this, if you do not want to use an aggressive oven cleaner.
Before you apply this to the heavily soiled areas, you should plug all openings in the oven with foil or kitchen paper.
Now apply the paste and leave it on overnight, the next day the dirt can be easily scraped off with a plastic scraper and wiped off with a cloth.
This also works with heavily soiled baking trays.
2. Remove what has boiled over from the hotplate
Whether ceramic, gas or electric stove, no stove is protected from boiling over.
If you don't remove the traces immediately after cooking, it can become a tedious drudgery later.
It is better to let the stove cool down a little after cooking and clean it when it is still lukewarm.
In addition to the chemical club, the power of lemon is also suitable for lighter stains on the hob.
Soak the affected areas with citric acid, leave on for about ten minutes and wipe with a damp cloth.
Stubborn stains can be removed better with a paste made from baking soda and water.
Spread the mixture on the stove top with a cloth, let it work for several hours, remove with a damp cloth and polish dry.
3. A hygienic sink
The sink holds more germs than a toilet - so it is better to clean it every day
Source: Getty Images / Ikon Images
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The sink is a real spinner, where all kinds of germs gather - more so than in a toilet.
To keep the sink hygienically clean, it should be washed out regularly with warm water and washing-up liquid (this dissolves grease and has an antibacterial effect).
To keep a stainless steel sink optically clean, it is advisable to scrub with baking soda and a brush.
With a ceramic or plastic basin, you should be a little more careful when cleaning, the best way to clean it is with a soft cloth or sponge and a little washing-up liquid or all-purpose cleaner.
Citric acid helps against limescale deposits - to avoid new deposits, the basin can be rubbed dry every day with a microfiber cloth (preferably after each use).
4. Don't forget the drain
You shouldn't forget the flushing drain, as well as fluff and especially food residues - which can give off an unsightly smell in the long run.
Therefore, the drain should be flushed regularly with drain cleaner.
Vinegar and lemon will help clean and deodorize the drain regularly.
Stock up on ice cubes made from lemon chips and vinegar, and pour a handful down the drain every few days.
5. Clean the refrigerator
Bacteria and mold tend to develop in damp areas of the refrigerator - and spread to all the food that is stored there.
Thorough cleaning should therefore be carried out at regular intervals - superficial cleaning is sufficient in between.
That's how it works:
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First, the entire refrigerator should be emptied. Dispose of expired or spoiled food in the trash immediately. Remove all shelves and drawers and wash them in the tub with warm water and a disinfecting all-purpose cleaner or vinegar. While everything dries, the interior of the refrigerator can be cleaned. A mix of baking powder, water and soap, which disinfects and deodorises, is suitable for this. Wipe the entire interior walls and doors with it. If this does not remove all stains, put a little vinegar on a cloth and dab the stain with it, after 15 minutes it should be easy to remove.
Dirt and mold can also easily settle in the seals around the door.
When all splashes, stains and crumbs have been removed, everything can be rubbed dry with a soft cloth and the shelves can be put back into the shelves.
Read here how to arrange the food correctly in the refrigerator!
6. Clean natural wood
Wood should never be cleaned in the dishwasher, but with lemon and salt
Source: UIG via Getty Images
Work surfaces and boards made of natural wood require a special cleaning method.
All you need are lemons, salt and paper towels.
Squeeze the juice of the lemon onto the wood and spread the salt generously on it.
Then rub everything on the wood surface with another lemon half - this way stains and smells can be gently removed from the wood.
Finally, remove the excess salt with a tea towel and let the surface dry.
In order to protect the wood in the long term, it should be rubbed with oil every few weeks, a simple rapeseed oil is suitable for this.
7. Don't forget the dishwasher
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The dishwasher should be cleaned once a month, special dishwasher detergents are suitable for this.
These are small areas that you put upside down in the cutlery basket or plate rack of the empty (!) Dishwasher and then let it run through once at 60 degrees.
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The seals and door joints should also be cleaned with this cleaning agent or a self-made paste made of baking soda or vinegar cleaning agent.
Also, inspect the drain for foreign objects and clean the drain strainer with a dish brush and mild detergent.
8. Treat the microwave with lemon
To loosen stubborn splashes in the microwave, heat a suitable container with water and lemon juice for three minutes - and let it stand in the microwave for another five minutes.
This loosens sticky dirt on the inner walls.
These can then be easily wiped off with a damp sponge and dishwashing detergent.
9. Organize kitchen cupboards sensibly
Over time, a horrific mess of pasta, cornflakes, spices and the like develops in many kitchen cabinets.
Clear all of this out of the cupboards and clean them with water and vinegar.
Then reorganize everything according to food and place everything that is frequently used right at the front - that saves time and creates order.
Small baskets and labels can help organize things.
10. Grease on the surfaces
All kitchen utensils that are not stowed in a cupboard - just like the cupboards and the extractor hood - build up a layer of fat and dust over time.
If the items are small enough and dishwasher safe, take them off regularly and wash everything through (works with most hood filters too).
To clean larger surfaces - such as cupboards, doors, tiles - simply use water and a grease-dissolving detergent.
Do not forget also
to
brush the closet, there very much sticky dirt deposited.
Incidentally, this can be prevented by covering the surfaces with newspaper, which should be replaced regularly.
11. Polish stainless steel with tartar
Surfaces made of stainless steel - such as toasters or extractor hoods - are best cleaned regularly with a damp microfiber cloth.
Coarser dirt and rust stains can be wonderfully removed with tartar.
Mix some water with tartar powder to create a milky substance.
Now put the paste on the stainless steel surface and scrub lightly with a soft sponge - finally wipe everything with a damp cloth and polish, done!
Incidentally, these unsightly gray scratches on light-colored porcelain dishes can also be removed with tartar powder.
12. Final spurt on the ground
Only when everything is flashing again in the kitchen, all cupboards have been cleaned, rearranged and sorted, should you devote yourself to the floor.
A microfiber mop and hot soapy water are suitable for wiping a tile or linoleum floor; coarser stains or discoloration can be removed with a mixture of salt and turpentine.
Wooden floors, on the other hand, should not be too wet and cleaned with special wood care products - do not use washing-up liquid, as this robs the wood of the oil.
Now let everything dry, put away and enjoy the radiant shine in the kitchen.
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This article was first published in February 2018.