ANYONE WHO HAS ever set about doing a deep clean of their kitchen knows that it is not one job, but instead a collection of small and often stubborn jobs.

The kitchen should be a clean and calming place to spend time, and you should be able to make meals for yourself and your family without having to stress over whether the kitchen is clean enough. 

So, how to stay on top of it all? In this week’s edition of the Allianz Home Magazine, we’re continuing with our series on jobs around the house that no one wants to do. Read on for a few simple tips on how to make cleaning the kitchen an efficient and pain free experience. 

Now we’re cooking

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Whether it’s your oven, your stove, your microwave, your airfryer or your George Foreman grill, anything that interacts with food needs to be thoroughly cleaned on a regular basis. 

First and foremost, home remedies like baking soda and vinegar will probably not be enough to clean the inside of your oven. Ideally, you would use a store-bought degreasing solution and absolutely coat the racks inside your oven with it. Leave them for a few hours before returning with warm water and a sponge to scrub the racks clean, and then try them off. Make sure to check the bottom of the oven for debris.

Once the oven is done, the rest should be easier. The stove, for example, can be treated with dish soap, warm water, a sponge and something to wipe it down with once you’re done — just make sure that the stove is switched off so you can safely get in under the hobs.

You can tackle these other jobs while you wait for the degreaser to take effect inside the oven.

Dish it up

One of the preemptive steps you can take to reduce your workload when it comes to washing the dishes is doing it regularly so they don’t pile up in the sink. A good way to achieve this is to avoid cluttering up your drawers and presses with too much unnecessary crockery. 

As for doing the dishes: it’s not the most pleasant. However, this is one task that can definitely be made easier if you have help. With one person on scrubbing duty and someone else responsible for drying the dishes and putting them away, this really will feel like a burden halved. If you’re the person doing the scrubbing, make sure you have rubber gloves, warm water, washing-up liquid and a clean sponge. 

Fridge-freezer

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One of the best ways to keep your fridge clean and prevent it from becoming a source of odours in your kitchen is to remain vigilant about clearing it out. At one time or another, all of us have probably kept products in the fridge well past their use-by date. By making sure you promptly get rid of any gone-off food in your fridge (or anywhere else in the kitchen, for that matter) you can avoid one.

The best way to keep your fridge in pristine condition is to wipe down the interior once a month, maybe before you do a big shop. By timing it right, you’ll have less products to take out of the fridge to do the clean, and once you’ve restocked you’ll have peace of mind that your fridge is clean for at least another month. 

Something else to take into account is making sure that ice doesn’t build up in your freezer. In most modern units you should only have to de-ice your freezer once a year, but if you’ve got an older freezer you may need to do it more often. Defrosting your freezer shouldn’t involve more than putting your frozen goods in cooler boxes while you go at the ice with a tool like a wooden spoon. This will make sure that you have enough space for all your food, as well as keeping your freezer in good working condition. 

Counter attack 

After you’ve made sure your cooking appliances, fridge-freezer and sink are all clean, the last thing for you to do is to wipe down the counter. This should be the simplest job. 

Keep a basket handy where you can keep loose items on the counter while you clean. Once again, be careful using vinegar or bleach as these solutions might damage your countertops. Find a product that’s suitable for your surface, clear the surface and then go at it with warm water and a microfiber cloth.

Any sizeable rubbish on the counter can be pushed to the floor and then swept or mopped up. Make sure you hit every corner, and by the time you’re done your kitchen will be sparkling.