Cleaning kitchen countertops, tables, and floors is relatively easy. Some areas of the kitchen however, require a little more know-how and effort to keep them ready to use and looking their best. In this post, we will look at how to clean three of the more difficult to maintain kitchen mainstays: the microwave, the oven, and cookie sheets.
How to Clean Your Microwave
If you have ever tried to scrub stubborn stains off your microwave to no avail, then use these secrets to easily clean your handiest kitchen appliance.
This can especially be helpful if you’re like us and often forget to cover the food that you’re warming up, allowing it to splatter all over the inside of the microwave. We promise you, this is a relatively simple task and will only require simple ingredients lying around your house and about ten minutes of your time.
What you will need:
- A microwaveable bowl or glass measuring cup
- A sponge or cloth
- Vinegar
- Water
- Essential oil (optional)
- A toothpick
What to do:
- Fill your bowl with 2 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, and a drop of essential oil for a nice smell; we recommend orange, lemon, or even tea tree oil.
- After you have filled your glass bowl, place a toothpick on the top of the mixture to help prevent the liquid from boiling over or from exploding. Place the bowl in the microwave and set the timer for 5 minutes.
- Once it has completed its cycle, carefully remove the water mixture and proceed to wipe down (effortlessly!) the inside and outside of the microwave. You may want to rinse the sponge off occasionally if there is a lot of food buildup within.
You now have a clean microwave ready to go!
How to Clean Your Oven
Many ovens come with a self-cleaner option, but often it doesn’t clean off every dirty part of the oven, leaving behind unwanted food residue. Combining the same two ingredients we used on the microwave is another inexpensive solution and doesn’t smell like harsh chemicals because they’re both natural products. Although this will take more time than the microwave, you can do it in the evening, relax, go to bed and wake up the next morning to finish the task, so the waiting is pretty easy.
What you will need:
- Water
- A spray bottle
- Vinegar
- Baking soda
- A sponge
- A small bowl
What to do:
- Your first task is to remove the racks. You can clean them in your sink, with some soapy water and some added vinegar, or you can try putting them on the lower rack of your dishwasher, if they will fit.
- Next, mix about a cup of baking soda with some water, about 6 tablespoons, to create a paste, not unlike gritty toothpaste. Spread the paste over the inside of your oven and let it sit overnight, or for 12 hours. You may need to scrape off any extra crusty burnt-on food with a spatula to loosen it up and allow for the baking soda to do its work.
- In the morning, with your spray bottle full of white vinegar, spray down the inside of your oven. Wipe it down with a sponge, rinsing your sponge off with water, as needed.
- When the oven is cleaned, return the racks and turn it on to a very low heat to let it dry for about 20 minutes. Your oven is now ready to use.
As an extra tip to help prevent food that overflows from becoming stuck to the bottom of the oven, you can line the bottom with some aluminum foil. When you are ready to clean it next time, you can throw out the stained foil.
How to Clean Your Cookie Sheets
Cookie sheets, or sheet pans, are often covered with brown gunk that accumulates over time with frequent use. No need to replace the pans; you can clean them and make them look as good as new with relative ease. Remember our old friends, baking soda and vinegar? Bring them out again, and let’s get started.
- Fill up your sink with hot water, then mix half a cup of baking soda with half a cup of white vinegar and pour into the filled sink. You will get bubbles, but this is what you want.
- Place the cookie sheet in the mixture, allowing as much of its surface to be submerged and let time do the rest. An hour later, return to your cookie sheet with a sponge or scouring pad. Scrub the sheet in a circular motion so that any lines from scrubbing are less noticeable.
- Once you have scrubbed off all the stains, empty your sink and give it one last wash in soapy water, then dry immediately to prevent any rust from forming.
Next time you have to clean one of these kitchen appliances in your kitchen, remember there are three simple ingredients that can make your appliances and tools look like new again: baking soda, vinegar and time.
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