Kitchen Basics

12 Time-Saving Kitchen Cleaning Hacks

Updated on April 6, 2018 by Brent Furdyk

There's no getting around the fact that the more time you spend whipping up delicious meals, the more your kitchen needs to be cleaned. If you find yourself scrubbing away for hours on end, try some of these time-saving tricks to enjoy a sparkling clean kitchen with minimal effort.

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Clean Oven Overnight With Ammonia

<p>Scrubbing the inside of an oven is a dirty, nasty, time-consuming task, and even supposedly self-cleaning ovens don't really clean all that well. What to do? Heat your oven to about 150°F, then turn it off. Place <a href="http://www.rd.com/home/cleaning-organizing/homemade-oven-cleaners/" target="_blank">a bowl containing 1/2 cup of ammonia</a> on the oven's top rack, and a large pan of boiling water on the bottom rack, and close the oven door and leave overnight. The next day, remove the dish and pan, and let the oven air out a bit before wiping the the interior down with a damp rag that's been soaked in water and a few drops of dishwashing liquid. The baked-on gunk will wipe right off, leaving your oven looking like new. (Warning: if you have a gas oven, this should only be attempted if the pilot light is out and the gas line has been shut off.)</p>
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Clean Cast Iron Pans With Sea Salt

<p>If you've been scrubbing your cast iron pans with a sponge and dish-washing soap, you're doing it wrong. Not only does scrubbing and scouring this way take time and elbow grease, but the detergent will ruin the pan and make it rusty. A far better and quicker way to keep cast iron pans clean is to use <a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-clean-and-season-old-ru-151535" target="_blank">a handful of coarse sea salt</a> and, instead of a sponge, a halved potato (a halved lemon will also work). Rinse with water and dry; once completely dry, season the pan with a bit of oil and you're good to go.</p>
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Clean A Stained Coffee Maker With Lemon And Salt

<p>If you're contemplating buying a new coffee maker because the glass coffee pot has become so stained that all the scrubbing you're doing has little to no effect, then you need to try <a href="http://www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-clean-a-coffee-pot-with-salt-and-lemon" target="_blank">this genius hack</a>. Add 3 to 4 Tbsp of rock salt, sliced lemon juice and rinds, 2 cups of ice and 1 cup of water to the pot, then swish it around, clockwise then counterclockwise and so on, until those nasty stains have miraculously disappeared.</p>
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Fight Oil With Oil

<p>If you're trying to mop up splattered oil on a stovetop or counter, or that oily gunk that accumulates on a range hood, put away the cleaning solutions and <a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-green-clean-grease-from-138621" target="_blank">grab some vegetable oil</a> instead. Place a few drops of vegetable oil on a paper towel and wipe the oily surface, and prepare to be amazed when that greasy gunk comes right off.</p>
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Clean The Microwave By Heating a Damp Sponge

<p>Cleaning the inside of a microwave can be a hassle, what with all the corners, and assorted nooks and crannies. Instead, <a href="http://lifehacker.com/5859200/heat-a-wet-sponge-or-rag-in-the-microwave-to-make-cleaning-a-breeze" target="_blank">try this</a>: saturate a kitchen sponge or rag with water, place it in the microwave and nuke it for about 3 to 5 minutes. When done, let it sit for a few more minutes to allow the steam loosen up the grime. After that, you should be to wipe it clean. </p>
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Clean The Sink Immediately After Washing Dishes

<p>Sometimes time-saving kitchen hacks are merely common sense, like this easy tip. After transferring pots, pans, dishes and cutlery into the dishwasher from the sink (or after washing by hand), don't leave the accumulated grunge sit in the sink; that will just cause it to be tougher to remove when you do get around to cleaning it. Instead, it's a good rule of thumb to <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/10-ways-to-clean-your-kitchen-less-often-and-enjoy-it-way-more-195852" target="_blank">clean the sink immediately afterward</a>, with a bit of light scrubbing now, preventing what is sure to be a larger, more labour-intensive job later.</p>
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Clean Burnt Food In Pots And Pans With Dryer Sheets

<p>Why waste all that time scrubbing pots and pans when you can use...dryer sheets! Seriously, it's true; simply fill a a dirty pot or pan with soapy water, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/littlethingscom/use-a-dryer-sheet-on-your-dishes-and-never-scrub-a-pot-or-pan-again_b_8011934.html" target="_blank">toss in a dryer sheet</a> and let it sit for a minimum of 1 hour, and all that caked-on grime will come off with little to no scrubbing required.</p>
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Scrub Glass Baking Dishes with Aluminum Foil

<p>Instead of toiling away with a scrub brush, scouring pad or sponge, scrunch up some aluminum foil into a ball and use that to <a href="http://www.realsimple.com/new-uses-for-old-things/new-uses-cleaning/aluminum-foil-glassware-scrubber" target="_blank">scrub a grungy glass baking dish</a>. It works like a charm, and is also a great way to recycle used pieces of foil.</p>
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Degunk Kitchen Cabinets with Oil and Baking Soda

<p>If your kitchen cabinets are greasy from years of built-up cooking, here's a fast, simple and effective way to make them shine like new. Make a paste by combining 1 part vegetable oil with 2 parts baking soda and <a href="http://lifehacker.com/5990884/erase-accumulated-kitchen-grime-with-this-two-ingredient-solution" target="_blank">scrub it onto cabinets</a> (you can use an old toothbrush to get into the nooks and crannies). The greasy gunk will easily wipe right off.</p> <p>You might also like: <strong><a href="http://www.hgtv.ca/cleaning-and-organization/photos/30-things-you-should-be-cleaning-with-baking-soda-1913816/" target="_blank">30 Things You Should be Cleaning with Baking Soda </a></strong></p>
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Use a Hairdryer To Blast Crumbs Out Of A Toaster

<p>Sometimes attempting to clean crumbs out of a toaster trap winds up creating an even bigger mess than the one you were trying to clean in the first place — until you <a href="http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/lifestyle/19934_peter_walsh_spring_cleaning_tips_for_your_appliances/" target="_blank">try this</a>: use a rubber band to attach a paper towel to the end of a pencil, then sweep it around inside the toaster (after you've unplugged it) and then release the crumb tray over the trash can. Then, use a hair dryer to blow out any more lingering crumbs, although this is probably something better achieved outside.</p>
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Clean/Deodorize Garbage Disposal With Vinegar-Water Ice Cubes

<p>If your sink's garbage disposal is starting to smell like a dumpster, make a batch of ice cubes, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/17/cleaning-garbage-disposal_n_1884569.html" target="_blank">using vinegar instead of water</a>, with each cube containing a hunk of lemon. Drop a few cubes in the disposal, and as the ice is ground up by the blades, this will dislodge any rotting food trapped inside, while the vinegar and lemon will act as a natural deodorizer. Try getting used to doing this once a week for a squeaky clean sink.</p>
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Use Oven Liners To Catch Spills

<p>If you're clever, you've probably figured out that it's a brilliant idea to cover the lower rack of your oven with aluminum foil when cooking a lasagna, casserole or anything that threatens to drip, thus preventing the need to clean baked-on grunge from the bottom of the oven. An <a href="https://www.ovenclean.com/our-world/2016/5/how-to-use-an-oven-liner-to-keep-your-oven-clean/" target="_blank">even better idea</a> is to use a silicon, heat-resistant non-stick oven liner, placing it at the bottom of the oven (unless your oven has a lower heating element). This will catch any falling food and makes cleaning much easier.</p>
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