Spring is Finally Here! Spring Clean Your Kitchen With These Tips.

4/2/2018 (Permalink)

Check all of your appliances for frayed or damaged wiring. Electrical malfunctions are a common cause of house fires in the Southbury, CT area.

Your 2018 Kitchen Spring Cleaning Cheat Sheet 

Spring is here and although it's still chilly and wet in the Southbury area, we will start having those "open up the windows and let the fresh air in" days soon! There's no better time to spring clean your home, getting rid of the dirt, grime and dust that has accumulated over the winter.  Your kitchen sees more cooking and baking in the wintertime than it does all year, and it probably shows!  The cleaning crew of SERVPRO of Southbury/Torrington has compiled a spring cleaning checklist to help you out. 

1. Clean the Grease –  Wipe down all surfaces – from your cabinets to your appliances – with white vinegar, which is amazing at removing grease!  Spray vinegar on all surfaces, let it sit for ten minutes and then wipe off with a kitchen rag. Don't forget to get under cabinets, your cabinet door knobs and on top of your refrigerator. If you have a particularly difficult grease spot to remove, wiping it with a little vegetable oil will remove it. Follow up with a rinse with a damp cloth.  
2. Refrigerator – Take everything out and remove the shelving and drawers to clean. Check the expiration date on items, toss the forgotten leftovers and wipe down condiment jars. One trick that we have for keeping a fridge clean is to place rubber shelf liners on your shelves and in your fruit and vegetable drawers. It comes in a roll and can be cut to size. If something spills, it's much easier to remove the liner than the whole shelf!  
3. Oven – Remove the racks from your oven and clean them. If you prefer not to use the self cleaning option on your oven, use this trick to get it clean with vinegar and baking soda – we've tried it and it works! Don't forget to pull out the storage drawer under your oven, remove all of the pans and clean that too.
4. Sink – A toothbrush is the perfect tool to clean around the edge of a sink and behind it. If you have a garbage disposal, put ice in your disposal, followed by vinegar. Then, run the disposal. The ice does a great job of scraping the sides of the hard to reach places and removing the debris. The vinegar finishes the job with a cleaning. 
5. Cabinets - If you're really ambitious, remove all of the items out of your cabinets and wipe down the interior.  This is a great time to get rid of those dishes that are never used or that glass that no longer has a match.  
6. Pantry – Take all items off of the shelves, discard those open boxes of stale cereal that got shoved to the back a few months ago, wipe down your shelves and replace everything in nice neat lines. Most likely, it won't stay like that but it looks good for now!  
7. Microwave - Here's a new trick we just tried. Place water and a few lemon wedges in a small microwave safe container. Run the microwave until the water starts to boil. Turn off the oven and let sit, and steam, for a few minutes. When you remove the cup, you will be able to simply wipe everything off without scrubbing. 
8. Filters –Check your fridge to see if the water filter is due for replacement. If there is a filter in your exhaust vent, it's most likely due for a change as well.  If you have a water filter on your sink, swap it out for a new one.

While you are cleaning your kitchen, take the time to do a safety check. 

Take a look behind your fridge and under your sink and take note of any signs of dripping from the refrigerator supply line or the pipes under your sink. These are two of the most common places that water damage occurs in a kitchen. Also look for any frayed wires on your appliances, as these can be a fire hazard. If you have noticed an electrical outlet shorting out or your light fixtures flickering, have them checked out by an electrician. We've restored many homes that have had kitchen fires and often it's a small problem that causes significant fire damage.  

If you've finished reading this post and thought "A sparkling clean house sounds wonderful, but who has the time?", give us a call at 203-267-6262. We'll come out and make your kitchen sparkle like it never has before!