How to clean your kitchen, using eco-friendly products that are safe for people, children and pets!
The Kitchen Cleaning Tips and Tricks You’ve Been Missing:
The kitchen is one of the most used places in the house, every knows good house parties end in the kitchen! Depending on your lifestyle, your kitchen can vary from a master chef layout, or a hosting layout. When it comes down to it, they are all used for the same thing – cooking and cleaning!
While eating and cooking may be the fun side of being in the kitchen, the downside is day to day maintenance and cleaning.
Between cooking messes, dirty dishes, everyday spills and just life in general, your kitchen can go through a lot in one week. Whether its overflowed coffee from the morning, or that marinara sauce crusted on the stove from last night’s dinner. Cleaning every surface of your kitchen can be challenging and time consuming.
Everyday cleaning products can be harmful to the environment, or are just plain expensive.
Great Environmentally friendly products:
Mrs. Meyer’s – made with plant- derived ingredients, essential oils and other formulated ingredients that work against dirt and grime. They have introduced a cruelty-free formula and have integrated recyclable packaging. (less pumps and caps)
ECOS – completely natural and organic, made from real raw ingredients from plants. No dyes, parabens, phosphates or phthalates, and are never tested on animals.
Seventh Generation – Includes plant based renewable ingredients, scents made from real ingredients, no dyes or parabens, and products made from fully recyclable plastics.
TIP:
You can make cheap glass cleaner and all- purpose cleaner at home using inexpensive and natural ingredients.
GLASS CLEANER:
1 cup of water + 1 cup of white vinegar + 1 cup of rubbing alcohol
ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER:
1 cup of water + 1 cup of white vinegar + 10-30 drops of your best smelling essential oil
Six DIY Hacks that will make your life that much easier:
How to clean your garbage disposal:
Having a garbage disposal is quick and easy. When your finished doing the dishes and have food in the sink. In a matter of seconds, it breaks down the left-over foods. Unfortunately, small pieces often get stuck in the sink, and can leave a nasty odor in your kitchen. However, in just minutes this DIY hack can leave your sink and kitchen feeling fresh.
To start, you will need regular household products. White vinegar, dawn dish soap, baking soda, and an old toothbrush (or your spouses!).
Ingredients:
½ cup vinegar (white works best)
½ cup baking soda
Toothbrush
2 tablespoons dawn dish soap
Pour ½ a cup of baking soda in your garbage disposal and then add ½ cup vinegar. You will hear the mixture start to fizz. Wait 10 – 15 minutes, the vinegar will get rid of any bacteria from the left-over foods. Once 10-15 minutes is up, take the old toothbrush and add the dawn dish soap. Scrub the inside of the walls and the outside very well, then run hot water down for about 30 seconds (or sing happy birthday 3 times)
There you have it, a freshly sanitized garbage disposal in minutes! Eco-friendly, non toxic and it doesn’t break the bank!
How to clean splatter from the inside of your microwave
I know everyone must have a teenager at home, spouse, or maybe even yourself who forgets to cover their food and it splatters absolutely everywhere. Of course, no one wants to clean it at that very moment because their foods getting cold, the only thing worse than cold dinner, is no dinner!
Ingredients:
Microwave – safe bowl
2 cups of water
1 cup of vinegar
Half a lemon
A good trick is to steam clean the microwave. Take a microwave safe bowl, add water and vinegar and lemon. Heat the water for about 3 – 4 minutes. When the time is up, take a microfiber cloth, use the vinegar/water mixture to scrub the walls, the food will come right off! Easy job and a nice smell!
How to clean a dirty grease-splattered stove top:
Let’s talk about that dried on marinara sauce from earlier that’s been crusted on your stove-top for the last two days, we all know its there… A good tip that has saved me a few headaches is to never leave the mess sit for too long, if you have left it too long, never fear, the UTP blog is here.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons baking soda
½ lemon wedge
If simple soap and water doesn’t do the trick, you can sprinkle a thin layer of baking soda across the stovetop. Take half a lemon and rub the cut side onto the stovetop in a circular motion. The baking soda and lemon juice will start to create a paste. Continue scrubbing until you are able to wipe away the grease and burnt on mess with a warm, damp sponge or cloth.
How to clean the inside of your fridge:
How often should a fridge be cleaned? The true answer has been lost in time, my answer for right now is when ever it needs to be done!
Ingredients:
Abrasive salt (enough to cover each section of fridge)
Soda water or sparkling water
Water
10-20 drops of your favourite essential oils
The best cleaner is a combination of rough salt (Himalayan salt will work, the pink stuff you can buy by the tonne in winners!) and sparkling or soda water. Use a warm, damp sponge and start scrubbing. Not only will it take off all the sticky messes but will leave your inner fridge looking shiny. You can also add a deodorizer at the end with some hot water with your favourite essential oils, or you can use one of the environmentally friendly cleaning products for a quick spritz.
How to leave your stainless-steel appliances shiny:
The ability to resist rust and corrosion has made stainless steel appliances a popular if not the only choice for kitchens. It responds great to cleaning, as long as you follow all of the rules.
This simple smudge free cleaner will help get rid of grime, dirt and streaks, without the harsh smells from commercial cleaning products.
Ingredients:
½ cup vinegar (white distilled works best, but you can substitute cider vinegar)
½ cup of warm water
2 tablespoons liquid dish soap
2 tablespoons baking soda
2 tablespoons olive oil
Combine the vinegar and water in a spray bottle, or in a bowl. Add the baking soda as well as the dish soap into the vinegar/water solution. Spray or use a damp sponge to cover the entire area of the stainless steel. Use a clean dry microfibre cloth to dry. Once the area has been thoroughly dried, use your microfibre cloth and add a few drops of olive oil (or whatever you have handy). Rub the area down and buff out all the streaks.
How to clean your wood kitchen cabinets:
The first thing anyone sees when they walk into your kitchen are your cabinets. For myself, mine are pure white as well. Not only are they exposed to cooking grease, sticky fingers, and doggy slobber, but they also show all the dirt, grease, and grime of all my hard work in the kitchen!
Ingredients:
A bucket or large bowl
Warm water
Baking soda OR vinegar
Essential oils
Dawn dish soap
You have a lot of DIY options for this natural cleanser. Fill your bucket with warm water. If you are using baking soda, throw a few cups of it into the water, or just a couple splashes of vinegar. Add about 2 tablespoons of dawn dish soap. This will help get rid of any grease or grime that is stuck on the cabinets. I always like to add a scent to my mixture. Not only will this make your cabinets smell fresh, it will make your overall kitchen smell fresher.
There you have it. You don’t need expensive and harmful chemical cleaners to make your kitchen feel shiny and new. These inexpensive tools can have just the same effect as well as being safe for the environment and your family. Keep this up a few times a week, and your kitchen’s maintenance will strive.
Eat your heart out Martha Stewart