Quick Clean Kitchen Appliances with These Tips
Hard to imagine life without a coffee maker and microwave gracing our kitchen countertops. The garbage disposal makes quick work of food scraps and home life would be practically unbearable without a refrigerator. For all the good these kitchen appliances do for us, how do we treat them in terms of keeping them clean? If your kitchen appliances could use a little attention, use these tips to give the a quick cleaning so they can sparkle and work like new again.
How to Clean Coffee Maker
Place a new paper filter in the basket to catch sediment or other debris, then fill the coffee pot with a mixture of one-half white vinegar and one-half water. Pour the vinegar and water mixture into the water tank, then turn the coffee maker on and let it run through a brewing cycle.
After the brewing cycle is complete, pour out the vinegar and water mixture and pour a pot of clean water in the tank. Sprinkle a teaspoon full of baking soda in the coffee pot and run the machine through a brewing cycle to remove the vinegar and all sediment which it has loosened. If baking soda bubbles, there is still vinegar in the machine, so run it through the second rinse cycle. At end of cycle, dampen a dish cloth in the hot baking soda water and wipe down the coffee maker.
How to Clean Microwave
Fill a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl with water and place one-half of a fresh cut lemon in the water. Place bowl in microwave and zap on high for five minutes, let bowl set for another five minutes inside the microwave (do not open door) to loosen food debris and absorb odors.
Remove bowl (and bottom glass plate if your oven has one) and wipe down the oven interior with a sponge or cloth dampened in a baking soda and water mixture (one teaspoon of baking soda per cup of water). Start wiping on microwave oven roof and work down to clean and freshen.
How to Clean Garbage Disposal
Toss half a dozen ice cubes down the drain then turn the garbage disposal on (water too). The hard ice with dislodge and remove smelly food debris that are on disposal blades and the running water with wash it on down the drain. To leave the garbage disposal smelling fresh, toss half a lemon or lemon peels down the drain and run the disposal.
A good time to quick clean the garbage disposal is right after you’ve cleaned the microwave so you can double cleaning duty out of that lemon half.
Clean Refrigerator Coils
Dust builds up on refrigerator coils over time and hinders the kitchen appliance from cooling efficiently. Keep your fridge cooling properly and eliminate this household allergen by quick cleaning refrigerator coils with the crevice tool on your vacuum cleaner. Remove the front bottom panel and reach under as best your can with the crevice tool or have someone pull the fridge out from the wall so you can get behind the appliance and clean it thoroughly.
