Three Tricks to Help Your Kitchen Sparkle That You Might Be Missing


 

Everybody wants a clean, magazine-worthy kitchen, in which to entertain guests, cook for the family, and try out new recipes. It can be hard to even feel motivated to cook even the simplest recipe when your kitchen is underwhelming or "blah," or worse, edging towards unappealing or filthy. On the other hand, a shiny clean kitchen will make you feel as though it is brand new to you, and very inviting to you and your guests.

Some people get lost in the cycle of endlessly doing dishes, wiping counters, and mopping floors, but find that their kitchen never really gets any cleaner. In other words, these types of "circular" chores always need done, but they never give a real improvement to beautifying your kitchen and making it truly sparkle.

Here are a few examples of areas of the kitchen that get overlooked during day-to-day cleaning, but focusing on these every so often will absolutely make your kitchen look it's best!

1. Clean Those Appliances!

A general wipe down of your appliances may be part of your usual routine; however, giving them a deep clean will be sure to help beautify your kitchen, along with creating a cleaner and more sanitary cooking environment.

If you have a dishwasher, this list can go much more quickly for you! There are many appliance parts you can throw in the dishwasher regularly, such as some refrigerator shelves and drawers, toaster inserts (crumb catchers), and stove top items like the burners and plates. If not, take any removable parts that you can and soak them in hot, soapy water for a while. Adding baking soda and vinegar is a natural way to cut down on grease and grime, and makes for a great soak of most materials.

Next, scrub anything and everything you can. It's also a good idea to use a vacuum attachment where you can, such as inside the bottom of the oven or refrigerator, or the back of the refrigerator coils. Even though areas like this are hidden, you'll notice the difference in the air quality when you say goodbye to all of the dust and age-old food crumbs your vacuum removes.

2. Give Your Tile and Grout a Good Scrubbing

Tile and grout cleaning is, all too often, the most forgotten step in a good old-fashioned kitchen deep cleaning. From your floors to your backsplash, you know it's not enough to just dust, sweep, and wipe. Using a small brush (even an old toothbrush) or special tool soak your tile and grout with specially formulated cleaner or even a combination of household items such as baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, dish soap and salt.

After soaking for at least fifteen minutes, use the toothbrush or specialty brush to really get into the grout and into the pores of the tiles. This job take a lot of elbow grease, but it worth it in the long run.

Tiles are often, but not always, porous; however, grout is always extremely porous and uneven. Coupled with the fact that the kitchen is often a damp and typically warm environment, these surfaces are prone to mold and mildew growth. Taking the time to periodically deep clean tile and grout areas will improve your air quality immensely. It can also have an extremely aesthetically pleasing effect on the overall look of your kitchen, by removing the drab and unsightly existence of old buildup.

3. "Six Inches and Down"

Not everyone is familiar with this expression, but anyone who has ever worked in a restaurant has likely heard it before. It's even possible that you recall it from work and simply dread it; however, it's a good trick to picking out those areas that are very easily missed.

The trick is to focus on the areas lowest to the ground, namely the lowest six inches. Think about it: When was the last time you gave your baseboards a good deep cleaning? Often they get missed out during floor cleaning as just "part of the wall," but with their grooves they need much more attention than the flat wall. Dust, pet hair, and even crumbs often get swept into these low areas and are simply left there.

This rule is easily applied to other places in the kitchen, not just the six inches above the floor. Think about it in your cabinets, both upper and lower, and where your counter meets the wall or backsplash. Next time you clean your kitchen, pay special attention to these areas - maybe even find an extension to more easily use wipes on baseboards; or, for counters and cabinets, include these more vigorously in your wipe downs.

One of the best tricks to keeping your kitchen always at a sparkling level is to incorporate these ideas into your regular cleaning. It's important to do a deep clean every now and then, but you can make your life easier by coming up with a regular routine that works for you and your home, improving not only the looks of your kitchen, but also the health of your family.

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