I know that cleaning a kitchen is usually at the top of everybody’s fun things to do list, right? I’m sure there’s nothing you’d rather do on a Friday night than clean your kitchen! Of course I’m teasing, but it seems like part of the reason we don’t like cleaning our kitchens it because it is home to some of the trickiest cleaning we do. There’s grease, grime, stink, water deposits, you name it! Here are some tips for cleaning some of the trickier spots in your favorite room of the house.

Interior of Microwave

If the interior of your microwave is a real mess, use the softening power of steam to your advantage. Mix 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar and 1/2 cup water in a glass bowl, then bring to a rolling boil inside the microwave. Carefully remove the hot bowl and wipe the microwave clean of the now-loosened food using a paper towel. 

Wooden Cutting Boards and Bowls

I didn’t realize that you are not supposed to wash your wooden utensils in the dishwasher. Oops! It is very hard on them and they won’t last nearly as long if you do this. This is according to Martha Stewart and she is one lady I trust in the kitchen. Martha says you should wash your wooden cutting board in really hot soapy water and rinse well in hot, HOT water. Next, sprinkle a good helping of salt all over it and rub it all over with a lemon that has been cut in half.

This will sanitize and season your cutting board all at the same time. Next, rinse with cool water and then Martha likes to let her wooden cutting boards and utensils dry out in the sun. Sounds so cool and Martha Stewart-y, right? I like it. I’m going to have to start doing this!

Got No Time for the Grime!

Take a good look around your kitchen. Do you see grimy surfaces in more places than you’d like to admit? You can seem to find this yucky greasy grime everywhere! The combination of cooking grease, steam, and regular old dust creates a sticky residue on your kitchen’s surfaces. Your backsplash, the back of your stovetop, tea kettles, cabinets, tops of cabinets and fridge, even your walls! How the heck do you get rid of this grime? Well I read about 50 different ways to get rid of this grime—everybody seems to have an opinion and what they think Is the best way to get rid of this, so that is encouraging, right? Maybe there is hope! But I like to cut the grime in the quickest way I can!

I can attest to the power of baking soda! I have really found that baking soda can cut through grease and grime like nobody’s business. I like the make a paste of baking soda and water and spread it over the surface and let it sit for a while. Keep a bottle of vinegar handy to spray to get really get bubby cleaning action and it really cuts through that grease.

Other suggestions I read many times are Bar Keepers Friend, Goo Gone, and Magic Erasers. Do you have any suggestions for cutting this kitchen grime that works the best for you?

Gross Kitchen Garbage Can

An often-overlooked source of real filth is the kitchen garbage, as traces of food and liquid make their way out of the bin liner and onto the can itself, leaving a smelly mess. Scrub using dish detergent or multi-surface cleaning liquid and a nylon-bristle brush (your bathtub or outside is an ideal place for this task). Rinse and dry thoroughly with paper towels. 

Tea/Water Kettles:

A great way to clean the inside of your tea kettle is to add ½ cup of white vinegar to each quart of water and boil the mixture in the kettle for about 10 minutes. Rinse thoroughly.

Auto-Drip and other Electric Coffeemakers:
Add about a tablespoon of white vinegar to a pot of water and let it run through its cycle (without a filter in place).
Repeat at least once.
Then use clean, cold water for two or more cycles, until the taste of vinegar is gone.

Do you have any other brilliant cleaning tips for the kitchen? Share them with everyone in the comments below! :)