7 Tips for a Sparkling Clean and Time-Saving Kitchen

Clean your oven overnight with Ammonia

Cleaning the inside of the oven is a dirty, unpleasant, time-consuming task… But now you can work wonders with a self-cleaning oven that doesn’t require you to scrub. First, heat your oven to about 65°C, then turn it off. Place a bowl containing 1/2 cup of ammonia on the top rack of the oven, and a large pot of boiling water on the bottom rack, close the oven door, and leave it overnight. The next day, remove the ammonia bowl and the pot of water from the oven, open the oven door to let in some air before wiping the inside of the oven with a damp cloth soaked in water and a few drops of dishwashing liquid. All the stubborn dirt will be cleaned effortlessly and quickly without you having to scrub.

Clean cast iron skillet with sea salt

If you’ve been scrubbing your cast iron skillet with a sponge and dish soap, you’re doing it wrong. Not only does scrubbing this way take time, it also damages the skillet, causing it to rust quickly. A better and faster way to keep your cast iron skillet clean is to use a little coarse sea salt and half a potato or half a lemon. Rinse with water and let it dry completely before use.

Clean a stained coffee maker with lemon and salt

If you’re planning to buy a new coffee maker because the glass carafe is stained with coffee residue that can’t be cleaned, try this genius trick. Put in 3 to 4 tablespoons of salt, a sliced lemon, 2 cups of ice and 1 cup of water into the carafe, then hold the carafe and turn it clockwise until the stubborn spots magically disappear.

Clean your microwave

Cleaning the inside of the microwave is messy and troublesome. To make it quick, try this method: wet a sponge or cloth with water, place it in the microwave, and heat the microwave for about 3 to 5 minutes. Then turn off the microwave, let it sit for a few minutes to let the hot steam rise, then open the microwave door and wipe it clean.

Clean the sink immediately after washing dishes

After washing pots, pans, and knives in the sink, don’t let dirt accumulate in the sink, which will make it harder for you to clean it later. Instead, it’s a good practice to clean the sink immediately. After washing the dishes and stacking them, pour the accumulated dirt in the sink, use dishwashing water to clean the sink, preventing hygiene problems with a dirty sink.

Clean burnt pots and pans with food

You don’t have to waste time scrubbing burned pots and pans when you have a better trick. Simply fill the pot or pan with water and a few drops of dishwashing liquid, then throw in a dirty or burned pot, cover it with a sheet of paper and let it sit for at least 1 hour, and all the burnt residues will come off easily.

Clean dirty kitchen cabinets with baking soda

If your kitchen cabinets have accumulated years of grease and oil from cooking, this is a quick, simple, and effective way to make them shine like new. Make a mixture of 1 part vegetable oil with 2 parts baking soda and scrub it onto the cabinets (you can use an old toothbrush). Stubborn grease stains will be easily wiped away.