In a busy household, something always needs cleaning. Everyone wants to avoid scrubbing, but sometimes it seems there’s no other way. Luckily, we’ve gathered some of the cleverest kitchen cleaning tips we’ve found on the web – most of them scrub-free. You’re welcome.
* * *
How to clean your panini grill
Photo via The Fun Times Guide
Both Panini grills and George Foreman grills offer a fun and easy way to take your favourite sandwiches to the next level. Even if the plates are removable or non-stick, grime can build up on them. The trick to keeping your grill shiny isn’t about manual labour – it’s about letting time do its work.
Once your food is cooked, immediately unplug the grill and let it cool for a few minutes. Place a few damp paper towels on the cooking surface and close the lid. The grill’s heat will steam the mess, and by the time you’re done eating, it’ll be a cinch to clean! If you have removable plates, give them a quick wipe in the sink. Give fixed ones a wipe with a wet sponge, then dry them with a dish towel.
[More at The Fun Times Guide]
* * *
Transform your stove burners
Photo via The V Spot
Grease marks on a stovetop can be frustrating and embarrassing. For renters, in particular, the burner grates can be a major source of kitchen shame. Unfortunately, grease stains are nearly impossible to avoid. Fortunately, there’s a way to clean them up that requires very little elbow grease (pun intended). You just need two ingredients.
Ingredients:
- Ammonia
- Large Ziploc bags
Place your burner grates in the plastic bag and add a small amount of ammonia to the Ziploc, sealing it tightly. Remember, it’s the fumes that do the cleaning, so be sure not to immerse them in liquid. Zip on over to The V Spot for full instructions, and never combine ammonia with any other substances.
[More at The V Spot]
* * *
Get a crisp and clean stovetop
Photo via Practically Functional
First, wipe away all the loose food and gunk that’s accumulated with a damp cloth. (While you’re at it, try the technique listed above for cleaning the grates themselves.) Then, when you’re left with just the really stubborn grease and oil that caked onto the surface, try this mixture.
Mix the two into a runny paste, then apply it to the problem spots. Give them a scrub with a Viva Vantage towel—its cloth-like texture makes it great for heavy cleanups. For really stubborn spots, let the paste sit for ten minutes before scrubbing. Repeat as needed.
[More at Practically Functional]
* * *
Get sparkling cookie sheets once more!
Photo via One Good Thing by Jillee
Over time, cookie sheets tend to get grimy. It’s easy to accept it as wear and tear, or adapt by lining them with parchment paper or tin foil. If you’re patient, however, there’s a great way to get them clean with minimal scrubbing!
Ingredients:
Cover the surface of the baking sheet with baking soda, add hydrogen peroxide, and another sprinkle of baking soda. Then, walk away. Hours later, you’ll see that the formula soaked up the grease marks. Pretty great, right?
[More at One Good Thing by Jillee]
* * *
Clean & deodorize your wooden cutting boards
Photo via All Kinds of Yumm
Take a close look at your wooden cutting board. Does it look dry and sad? Does it smell like last week’s stir-fry? Here’s a totally non-toxic way of sprucing up the cutting board! You need only two things.
- A lemon, halved
- Coarse salt
Start by rubbing a lemon half all over the surface. When it’s damp, sprinkle a generous portion of salt across the board and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Then, rub the salt into the board using that same lemon. (If you need more liquid, give the other half a squeeze.) When all the salt is dissolved, rinse the board, and repeat on the other side, if necessary. When you’re done, wipe a little oil onto the cutting board to seal it.
[More at All Kinds of Yumm]
* * *
What are your favourite cleaning tricks? Tell us on Twitter or Facebook!
H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald
