Cross these off your checklist and tackle grime, dust, and sneaky food bits that have built up on and inside your appliances
By Perry Santanachote
The kitchen is probably a room you spend a lot of your time in—while awake, anyways—which makes it one of the germiest. There are things like sponges and cutting boards that you must clean and replace regularly, but when was the last time you looked behind the refrigerator? And what is that dang smell taking over the sink area?
Luckily, many kitchen cleanup tasks take hardly any time at all, as long as you’ve got the right tools and cleaning solutions. Here are five chores that you can do in under 20 minutes each.
Clean the Toaster Oven
Not only are the burnt grease and cheese splatters caked onto the walls of your toaster oven gross, but letting food build up in a cooking appliance is also a fire hazard. Ideally, you’re wiping it down regularly, but realistically, you’re doing it only when we remind you to, so here is your reminder in four easy steps.
- Unplug the toaster oven.
- Remove the crumb tray and cooking rack(s) and wash them with a sponge and dishwashing detergent. Stubborn messes might need an overnight soak in hot soapy water.
- Remove burnt-on food from the toaster oven’s interior walls using a damp polyester or nylon scrubber (metal scouring pads and abrasive cleaners can damage the coating on the walls).
- Use a damp, sudsy cloth to clean the glass door, then rinse, and dry with a clean towel. Got residue that won’t budge? Give The Pink Stuff a go at it.
Descale the Coffee Maker
Over time, minerals accumulate in the water tank and tubes of your drip coffee maker, which can hinder performance. Coffee residue also builds up in the carafe and can ruin the taste of even the best breakfast blend.
Descale the tank by running equal parts water and distilled white vinegar through the machine. Then run water through it again to rinse. Check the manual first. Some coffee makers will suggest a different ratio, and some have a special descaling mode. You can also use a special coffee-machine cleaning solution.
For coffee stains, fill the carafe with a solution of one part baking soda and two parts hot water, and let it sit overnight. Scrub with a long-handled bristle brush and rinse.
Clean the Garbage Disposal
Most odors that come out of the garbage disposal are coming from food buildup on the splash guard. That’s the removable black rubber panel that sits atop your sink’s drain hole. You can scrub it with warm water and baking soda or simply toss it in the top rack of a dishwasher. Food residue can also gum up the walls of the garbage disposal. For that, follow these steps:
- With the disposal and faucet turned off, put six ice cubes in the chamber, followed by 1 tablespoon of baking soda, three thin lemon slices, and 1 teaspoon of bleach. Top it all off with six more ice cubes.
- Turn on the disposal without running water until you hear the grinding stop.
- With the motor still running, flush with cold water for 30 seconds.
Vacuum the Refrigerator’s Condenser Coils
Condenser coils dissipate heat from the refrigerator to keep it cold. Over time, dust, dirt, and other debris can collect on the coils and act as an insulator, making it harder for the coils to keep the refrigerator cool. The coils are usually located on the back of the fridge or underneath it behind the grille. For built-ins, check the top of the appliance. Once you gain access to the coils, gently vacuum them using a soft brush attachment.
Clean the Dishwasher’s Spray Arms
For your dishwasher to run smoothly, it needs clean and clear spray arms (the propellers that shoot water onto your dishes). The bottom spray arm should lift off its base with a gentle tug. Unscrew the center wash arm from the bottom of the top rack using a Phillips head screwdriver. Check to see whether food debris is clogging any of the spray nozzles. Gingerly remove debris with a toothpick or pipe cleaner, being careful not to deform the hole. Here are seven more ways to keep your dishwasher happy, including cleaning the filter more often than you think.
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