Spring Clean The Kitchen

If you need help getting your grubby kitchen all lovely and shiny again, here’s ten ideas for a thorough kitchen spring clean…

1. Kitchen cupboards

Give your kitchen cupboards a spring de-clutter by emptying them out, wiping them clean and throwing away any food stores that are past their best. While vinegars will be good for a couple of years, dried herbs and ground spices lose their strength of flavour after 6 months, so replace any that are out of date. I always hold onto a couple of the empty glass herb and spice bottles for mixing vinaigrette dressings – add the ingredients, put on the lid and shake hard several times to emulsify.

2. Herb garden

Spring is the best time to get your herb garden into shape. While I keep hardy herbs like rosemary and sage in earthenware pots on my patio all year round, I buy softer herbs like basil and coriander in spring and keep them indoors on my kitchen windowsill. For best results buy them from a garden centre or farmers market, as they tend to live longer than supermarket herbs.

3. Microwave

To de-gunk your microwave, cut a lemon in half and squeeze both halves into a pyrex jug half full of warm water. Pop in the microwave on max power for about five minutes – the steam will lift the dirt from the inside making it really easy to wipe clean, and it’ll smell spring fresh too.

4. Freezer

When I’m planning to defrost my freezer I make sure to do it just before a weekly shop, when I can fit most of the frozen food in the fridge, wrapped up in newspaper. Any that doesn’t fit goes in my big freezer bag with a couple of ice bricks. Once the freezer is emptied switch it off and wedge the door open, with some old towels on the floor to mop up the water that drips out. After a few hours you can usually pull off the larger bits of ice with your hands to help it along, or use a plastic spatula, but don’t be tempted to use a knife or anything sharp.

5. Fridge

To get a spring fresh fridge, take out the shelves and loose compartments and give everything a good clean with warm, soapy water, making sure everything is totally dry before putting the food back in the fridge. To prevent nasty niffs, keep an open tub of bicarbonate of soda at the back of one of the shelves. Don’t forget to pull out your fridge freezer once a year to dust the heating element at the back – it’ll make it more efficient which will save you money!

6. Kitchen sink and plug hole

A thick paste made with bicarbonate of soda and a bit of water brings up the shine on a stainless steel kitchen sink a treat. Bicarb is also good for unclogging and deodorising a slow draining plughole. Pour four or five tablespoons of powder down the sink, then add the same amount of white vinegar and put the plug in. Wait a few minutes for it to fizz away and then run the taps to flush it through. If it’s still draining slowly I use a good old fashioned sink plunger.

7. Oven

My best tip for cleaning your oven is to get a self-cleaning one, so you don’t have to! But if you’re not lucky enough to own one of these miracles of modern living, make sure to wear old clothes and rubber gloves, tie your hair back if it’s long and open the window. Remove the shelves and put them in the sink to soak, then use a strong oven cleaner spray inside the oven. Leave it to work away for as long as possible before giving it a thorough wipe out.

8. Washing machine

To keep your washing machine smelling fresh and in prime working condition you should do a ‘maintenance wash’ every now and then. To do this you run the machine without any clothes in it on the hottest setting, using a powder washing detergent (rather than a liquid) that has a bleaching agent in it. After it’s finished the cycle take out the soap drawer and give it a good clean out using cotton buds or an old toothbrush to get right into the corners. To prevent stale smells always leave the door slightly ajar between washes.

9. Recycling

Make daily recycling as easy as possible by organising your bins. I have a general recycling box right next to the kitchen bin for cans, bottles, paper packaging and anything else that can recycled. Then, every few days, I sort everything from the box into the separate bins that my council recycling scheme supply, making sure to rinse out all food and drink containers and crush any cans. Any items that aren’t collected by the council, such as batteries and old paint, have to go to the tip.

10. Iron

Unless you’ve got a self-cleaning model, it’s a good idea to give your iron a clean out once in a while, to prevent it clogging up with limescale. Fill up the water compartment with a solution of white vinegar and equal parts water. Leave for a couple of hours and then rinse well with clean water. Any burnt marks on the plate of the iron can be removed by rubbing with a damp cloth while the iron is still warm. If that won’t shift the marks, try rubbing gently with a paste made of bicarbonate of soda and a little water.

Tagged as: Clean, Kitchen, Spring