Effortless Ways To Keep Your Kitchen Sparkling Clean

Greasy grates and stinky kitchen towels? No problem! From baking soda to onion and from vinegar to coconut oil, there is a wide range of unexpected kitchen cleaning hacks out there, waiting to be tried out… by you! We’ve compiled a list meant to help you clean like a pro with half the toxins and two times faster and better results. Check it out!

Ketchup for Ultra-Clean Copper

From the countertops to the sink and from the fridge to the oven, your kitchen needs a lot of work when it comes to thorough cleaning. But one aspect that usually gets neglected in the process is something that could be cleaned rather easily with the help of a common, store-bought food product. What, you ask? Well, copper pots – and their powerful friend called ketchup! That’s right, little old ketchup does an amazing job when it comes to cleaning grease, marks and stains from your favorite copper pots. The result: shiny, glowy, radiant copperware!

Ammonia for Greasy Grates

When it comes to cleaning our kitchens, most of us have one goal in mind: great results with as little scrubbing as possible. And this next secret ingredient totally gets us: ammonia! But wait: we’re not cleaning grease-free, easy surfaces sans scrubbing – we’re actually on a mission to clean out the greasiest oven grates out there… while using nothing else but a Ziploc bag and a quarter of a cup ammonia. Place one of your burners in a Ziploc bag, seal it up, and let it soak inside overnight. The ammonia fumes will literally dissolve even the most stubborn grease – try it and be amazed!

Soda and Vinegar for Smelly Kitchen Towels

Icky towels with nasty smells? If you do a lot of cooking, having smelly towels, full of grime, drink stains and food-related odors is simply inevitable. But good news: there are solutions to your stinky problem. Case in point: the soda and vinegar magical potion that can get rid of the worst smells out there, better so than your regular detergents. Ditch your laundry powder and go organic for better results: combine vinegar with soda and, if desired, your favorite essential oil (hello, eucalyptus countertops!).

Cream of Tartar for Clean Toasters

You use it for your homemade syrups and your merengue pies… but there’s one unexpected use you probably never would have imagined: cleaning your toasters and small appliances! Clearly, we’re talking about cream of tartar and its amazing cleaning powers. Put a little bit of cream of tartar on a dry sponge or cloth and scrub the exterior of your appliances – and be amazed by the super-clean results! How does it work? Basically, the citric acid in the tartar will break down all the nasty stuff on top of your toasters, leaving them not only clean, but super shiny.

Clean Your Blender – By Blending!

You love your morning smoothies, packed with fresh greens, fruit and vitamins – but cleaning your blender post-breakfast is not your favorite activity to do after enjoying your delicious drinks. Here’s a simple solution you definitely must try, not only because it is faster and more efficient than your traditional ways, but it is also safer (meaning no more scratches due to sharp blades): fill your blender with water (not completely, but around the ¾ mark) and add a few pumps of dish detergent. Next, run the blender on high speed for 20 to 30 seconds – and enjoy the flawless results!

Fresh Grill Grates with Onion

Who would have thought that the antidote for icky smells and greasy surfaces is something with a trademark icky odor? That’s right, combat grease with stinky, yet effective… onion! If you are not a fan of chemical-loaded products and would rather go the organic route whenever possible, then give onion a chance and let the results surprise you. When dealing with greasy grill grates, simply grab a white onion, cut it in half, then using a fork, rub the grates with your unconventional new tool. Bonus points: your next steak on the grill will get an added oniony flavor.

Vacuum Your Refrigerator Coils

If the idea of cleaning your fridge gives you nightmares, then ditch the scrubbing and brushing for a much easier and faster alternative: vacuuming you fridge’s coils! This is one of the places in any house that accumulate impressive amounts of dust, and while there are specific refrigerator coil brushes available on the market, you probably don’t want yet another product to clutter your cupboards. So, grab your portable vacuum and get to work – first, make sure you unplug you refrigerator before starting to vacuum, just to be on the safe side. Pop the grill off, then suck up that gunk!

Coconut Oil for Shiny Cabinets

From baking moist cakes to DIY-ing amazing hydrating creams for your dry skin and hair, coconut oil has the widest range of uses… and we all love it! So how about switching up your cleaning routine and giving a break to all those toxin-loaded products on your shelves? You guessed, we’re using your dear friend coconut oil instead! If your cabinets look like they need a little attention and shine, then make them look glossy and brand new again by simply polishing them with a cotton swap and coconut oil. Not only will your wood furniture look glossy, coconut oil will also prevent microbes and dust.

Line Your Drawers

Crumbs, dirt, grease & co. at the bottom of your drawers, under your clean kitchen utensils? We’ve all been there – and we all know that cleaning the icky stuff in the drawers is a tough job that requires loads of patience. So what if there was a simple solution, available for us all? Well, there is – and it’s called non-adhesive liners! Instead of having to scrub the dirt off your drawers weekly or at least monthly, grab a few liners that don’t require measuring or cutting and get to work! Not only will your drawers stay clean, but the liners will protect your objects from sliding.

Lemon & Salt for Clean Wooden Boards

Your wooden cutting boards are yet another item in your kitchen that often gets neglected when it comes to cleaning – and fact is, your old cutting board hosts more microbes than you can image (including possibly Salmonella-filled meat remains!). If the idea of using chemical products to clean up your wooden boards does not seem appealing in the slightest, then use this magical recipe instead: kosher salt, half a lemon and tea towels. Spray your board with salt, then start rubbing it with the lemon, corner to corner. When you are done, wipe off your board with a tea towel and enjoy the results!

Ground Coffee for a Fresh Fridge

Are the Chinese takeout leftovers from three nights ago, fresh fish and garlic-loaded foods making their presence felt whenever you open your fridge? We’ve all been there – unappetizing smells can definitely kill your appetite within seconds. And while that might work as a weight loss method when trying to shed the last 5 or 10 pounds to get bikini ready for summer, we’re pretty sure you’d still want your fridge to smell fresh and clean whenever you open it for a (healthy) snack. Introducing the number one combat for icky fridge odors: freshly ground coffee. Simply put your fresh roast on a plate and place it in the fridge for 24 hours and say ‘bye bye’ to icky odors for good!

Rice for Flawlessly Clean Bottles

Cleaning bottles, especially the ones with narrow necks, can be truly overwhelming and confusing – and if you’re on the hunt for new and effective ideas on how to clean them thoroughly, we’ve got just the tip for you. Use raw, uncooked rice, water and dish detergent to do the job: place them all inside your bottle, then fit the lid and start shaking vigorously. The rice will do an amazing job at cleaning and scrubbing the entire residue from the sides. Easy, fast and totally inexpensive!

The Versatile DIY Lemon Cleanser

Efficient, natural disinfectants that are void of all toxins are hard to come by – and if you are in serious need of one, we’ve got just the recipe for you. This magical potion works with just three ingredients: borax, citrus peel and everyone’s favorite natural dirt-antidote: vinegar! To start out, chop off the peel off your fruit, then combine it with 4 cups of water and let it boil for a minute in a saucepan. Let your mixture cool down, then add 6 tbsp. of vinegar and 3 tsp. of borax – when done, pour your mixture into a spray bottle and use it on all your icky surfaces, both in your kitchen and in your bathroom.

Essential Oils for a Clean Microwave

Your microwave is one of those appliances that constantly get dirty – from pasta sauce to cheesy melts, there’s a wide range of food leftovers currently living in your microwave. And in order to give your appliance a much needed makeover and transform it into a brand new-like, fresh little oven again, all you need is a natural cleaner – introducing: essential oils! Pick out your favorite one, grab a sponge, spray the inside of your microwave with a mixture that combines water with the essential oil and wipe it all up with a sponge.

Hydrogen Peroxide for Immaculate Countertops

From borax to ammonia and from vinegar to citrus fruit, our list of miraculous kitchen cleaning tips had it all – well, all except one special little ingredient that deserves the top spot: hydrogen peroxide! That’s right, this tip is so good that everyone who owns a kitchen needs to know and test it out. If you’re a perfectionist when it comes to kitchen cleaning and won’t settle for anything less than immaculate countertops, then  simply dilute a little hydrogen peroxide in water, add a little ammonia in the mixture, then proceed to wiping your countertops in order to make them glow and sparkle like never before.