Kitchen Cleaning

They're probably the dirtiest thing in your kitchen right now (besides your sponge).

My mom's 5-step kitchen-cleaning plan was drilled into me at a young age. Eleven years later, I still clean my own kitchen the very same way—and I’m teaching my kids to do it, too.

They're not all that hard. Promise.

You just... put vinegar in a dish and bake it? Seems like a scam, but OK. Let's try it.

Adjust your habits to make sure your counters look their very best every time you clean them—and keep them looking good for the long haul.

now that everyone’s eating at home so much more frequently, conquering those mountains of dishes—even with the help of a dedicated appliance—can get a little tedious. Take these simple steps to make your appliance work harder.

We asked Maximilian Riedel, 11th generation CEO and president of glassware company Riedel, to de-bunk several wine-glass-cleaning myths.

Even this year, when so many people have plans in flux, everyone I talked to wanted to get ahead of this one small task.

Astiankuivauskaappi is the ultimate in "touch-it-once" convenience.

It can handle tough jobs all on its own, but combined with other ingredients from your pantry, it can be even more powerful.

No matter how thoroughly you're cleaning your kitchen, chances are you're forgetting this one sneaky spot.

And a few tools you already have on hand!

A little pro strategy goes a long way in making sure that you don't sabotage your own best efforts.

If you’re not the type to mark the calendar for chores, look out for this telltale sign that your coffee maker needs some love.

Because we only get 24 hours in a day!

We have two main lengths of counter, on either side of the kitchen, and they're broken into two zones each.

Whenever I pick up a new bottle, I started doing this one tiny, brilliant thing that has helped me banish unwanted smells from my refrigerator.

I recently started keeping one of these by the sink, and right away it came in handy for even more chores than expected.

The kitchen can be such a black hole for storage, because everything in it feels necessary. When it comes to tools and cups and food storage containers, no amount feels like enough. And in your mind, you probably have a use for all of it.

It's no wonder you put it off.

We asked the experts about a dishwasher's impact on the environment, and the useful life of your appliance.

Let us help you make dishwashing less of a chore.

Dusting is one chore that's easy for me to let slip through the cracks. But there's another dusty spot that gets overlooked even more often than tabletops and shelves.

Even if you take on a thorough washing with a scrub brush, it's challenging to get all the nooks and crannies of a can opener clean.

Inspired by the folks who described their own homemade cleansers in our green cleaner comment thread yesterday, we remembered this list of simple and safe homemade metal cleaners in Real Simple Cleaning, and pulled it off the shelf this morning to take a look. Perfect for keeping your kitchen or bath faucets shining bright without chemicals!1. Ketchup brightens copper. According to Real Simple Cleaning, the acetic acid in ketchup dissolves the oxide tarnish that makes copper look cloudy.2.

Kate’s West Village Charm This weekend, in a search of a lost item, I ventured into the no-man’s land of one particular area of my kitchen and was aghast at what I found there. Even though it’s a little-seen area, that doesn’t make it any better in terms of the dust accumulation and the total ick-factor I experienced when I realized what kind of filth I had been harboring. So where was all the grossness hiding?

Copper pans are loved for being quick to warm and for their extremely even distribution of heat. They are often specifically called for in candy-making and other heat-sensitive recipes, but copper is useful for almost all your cooking, since the increased control and evenness of temperature makes everything easier. Although copper is one of the most expensive materials for pans, for those who love to cook copper pots and pans are worth the investment.

Four DIY fruit fly traps, and one winner! My kitchen is fruit fly-free now.

"Newer" doesn't necessarily mean "better."

Your kitchen is practically operating like a restaurant right now, so we surveyed front-of-house staff, servers, bartenders, and chefs for some kitchen-saving cleaning tips.

If you’re looking for a budget, DIY solution for your stinky sponges, look no further.

I have a favorite kitchen trick that has nothing to do with cooking.

Skip that cycle and do this instead.

This new set of housekeeping habits will help you keep your kitchen pretty close to the way you want it, even when life in general is upside down.

Just another brilliant TikTok idea.

I'm trying to learn to let go of a lot—but there's one small area of our house that I always make sure is perfectly clear.

Even the deepest, darkest, toughest stains don't stand a chance against this miracle in a bottle!

Machines that drip more slowly than they used to, or makers that leak, signal a build up of minerals.

In case you've ever wondered what $100 worth of jars looks like.

Ants tend to pop up in the spring and can linger through summer, foraging through your kitchen for food.

We asked two experts from GE Appliances to help us break down the science at work in their machines.

Sturdy and stiff enough to thoroughly clean, yet gentle enough to not strip away that seasoning.

There's one major component of our kitchens that may not be getting the attention it needs to stay clean even though we use and see them every day.

The cleaning up part certainly isn’t as fun (or as tasty) as the cooking part, but it’s a job that must be done. Check out these handy tips for a stovetop your mother would be proud of! Cleaning as you go truly is the best way to save yourself from having to cleanup a disaster of a mess like the one above. But sometimes life gets busy and there just isn’t time between the cooking and the eating and the evening’s engagements to wipe down that stove.

Step away from the smelly sponge, I've got just the solution for you!

“Traditional non-stick coatings are very thin—typically around 1 thousandth of an inch.”

Of all the appliances (big or small) in the kitchen, the dishwasher is the one that sparks the most arguments among roommates and families.

Grease is often difficult to remove, especially if you aren't able to clean it right away.

We asked the experts to help us figure out which kitchen tools should always stay clear of the dishwasher.

If there was ever a cookware staple that could last well enough to be passed down generation after generation, it's cast iron skillets. Here are some top-rated Amazon finds that will help you keep your cast iron in good shape to last a lifetime and then some.

Cleaning routines are great, but when you're operating on autopilot, you can miss things that are plainly visible to anyone in a more present state of mind.

It doesn't matter how you divide the labor in your house—if you want a cleaner kitchen, put somebody on each of these 13 tasks.

This is slightly embarrassing but my power outlets are…grodie. Doesn’t it look like it’s crying out? It would be one thing if it was hidden behind the sofa but this is in plain view above the stove. However with a little elbow grease (about the amount of a Smurf) it’s clean, clean, clean.ToolsQ-tips Formula 409ScrewdriverRazor Blade (if you have excess caulking to remove) 1. Shut your power off.2. Remove the power plate cover.

Pantry moth infestations are most frustrating. At the same time, I am committed to using natural, non-toxic, and mostly no-kill methods to deal with pantry moths. Here are the methods we recommend to get rid of them and effectively prevent further infestation. If you suspect you have pantry moths, first inspect everything in your pantry. Although moths tend to infest flours and grains, you should also check dried fruit, candy, pet food, etc.

Even though you rarely see the top of your kitchen cabinets, that doesn’t mean they aren’t busy getting dusty and dirty. Grease, humidity and general kitchen use can make this a tricky and icky spot to clean. Forget the hassle and bust out a pantry staple to do the dirty work for you.At some point in time everyone has bought a roll of wax paper. Maybe you thought it was parchment paper, maybe you only bought it because your mom always had a roll and you thought you needed it.

As we all probably know from experience at one time or another, it doesn’t take much for the kitchen to get away from you. Especially if you cook at home a lot, have a particularly small kitchen, or share the space with family or roommates; it’s a room that can definitely develop a mind of its own. Here are some of our best tips for reigning in the beast without becoming a slave to kitchen cleaning: Clean as you go. This is a big one that we had to include prominently in the title.

I’ve moved in and out of eight different rentals in the last nine years, which means I’ve done my fair share of post-move-out cleaning. The one task I always dread is cleaning the oven. I hate using toxic oven cleaner, yet it seems to be the only effective combatant against that hardened puddle of food crumbs, melted cheese, and pie juice from a year of careless cooking.

Wood utensils date back to ancient Egypt and are still one of the most common tools found in the kitchen today. Wood is a great material to cook with for a variety of reasons, and with the right care wood utensils and cutting boards can last decades. After many years of new materials such as silicone dominating the kitchen tool market, wood is making a comeback thanks to its timeless functionality.

The kitchen is the heart of a home, and the countertops are where all the action is: chopping, prepping, plating, snacking, leaning, and, if you’re anything like me, even sitting. We break down, by material, how to keep those counters clean and happy for years to come: MARBLE Martha Stewart advises applying a protective sealer annually, cleaning gently with warm water, and avoiding dusting sprays (like Pledge) and abrasive cleaners.

Lately it seems that I’m hearing the word “downsize” everywhere. From friends buying their first bijoux apartments after years in shared and spacious rented accommodation, to my parents’ generation selling multi-bedroom suburban houses and moving into city condos, to articles about living more minimally, owning less is trending. Obviously, downsizing is going to be different for everyone.

There are a lot of places stuff can pile up on in the kitchen. From the counters (bills, kitchen supplies, dirty dishes) to the sink to even the floor, there’s one place that doesn’t often get considered when it comes to kitchen decluttering. However this spot, when cleared off, can have a profound effect on your kitchen feeling a lot less hectic and a lot more controlled.

I firmly believe that some things are best left out of sight. When someone walks into my kitchen, I definitely don’t want the first thing they see to be a trash can. So stashing that trash bin in a cabinet seemed like a logical, aesthetically pleasing solution. Bonus: Keeping it behind closed doors meant I wouldn’t have to waste (get it?) precious square footage. I’m sad to report, however, that keeping garbage in the cabinet below my sink has proven to be a bad idea.

Get the right organization in place to suit your cabinets and your needs.

It’s impressive when a couple shares a tiny home together. But even more extraordinary is what Devon Loftus and her chef husband Brian Loftus have managed to pull off in their super small, 320-square-foot tiny house: cook, bake and entertain, despite having a kitchen that’s only 18 square feet! How do they do it? The couple generously shared their small but successful kitchen dwelling secrets.

Freshly grated mozzarella (or any cheese!) is an amazing addition to all kinds of foods, but the process of grating it can be a pain. And we’re not just talking about the actual work of running it across the grater over and over again—without, hopefully, cutting your fingers!—but also the actual cleanup. That soft, fatty cheese can get stuck inside the grater’s holes and you can tear up your sponge (or really injure yourself!) trying to get it clean.

You know how weightlifters and gymnasts use chalk powder to keep their sweaty hands dry? The same principle carries over with all kinds of grease (dry shampoo, anyone?). Next time you find yourself with an oil splatter or greasy stain on your favorite top, trade in your stain stick and try pre-treating with a little chalk instead. Like baby powder, chalk is ultra-absorbent, making it a must-have to keep on hand for bacon grease splatters and lipstick marks alike.

It’s a sign of my age that I get crazy excited about the little things at home. Sure, the frivolous things of my youth still hold some sway, but all I really want is a good vacuum that will suck up rogue animal fur, and a sink that cleans itself. I can probably manage the vacuum, but a self-cleaning sink is most likely not in the cards. That’s ok though, because this one from Elkay is the next best thing. I was recently online, drooling over someone’s recent kitchen renovation.

The kitchen backsplash is often the accent of your kitchen, the design choice (whether your own or someone else’s) that gives your kitchen its personality and color scheme. Even if your backsplash is humble, it sets your kitchen’s tone. But backsplashes are not just for looks; they work hard, catching splatters, smoke, and dirt that we rarely notice. This weekend, we’re going to give this enduring and often-overlooked surface of your kitchen some care and attention.

With Spring Cleaning for Your Mood, we’re helping you get your housekeeping done no matter what state of mind you’re in. For 20 weekdays in April, we’ll focus on cleaning a new area of your space, with three different ways to get it done—so it’s easy to stay on track even when you’re busy, tired, or away from home. Sign up with your email now and enjoy a better space by the end of the month.

Repurposing your household items doesn’t just reduce waste—it saves money, too. That’s the good news. The great news is: You don’t have to be super crafty to reap the benefits of creative reuse. If you think you’ve got the chops (read: literally five minutes) for a super quick, easy, and clever home project, we’ve got just the kitchen DIY for you.

Filed under things I didn’t know I had to worry about: the fact that the pretty finish on my new kitchen fixtures might not last. When you’re dreaming about a new kitchen, it’s often the jewelry—those gleaming brass fixtures—that imprint on your mind. They certainly did mine. Pinning my little heart out, I began to see patterns in what I liked, and that included modern brass fixtures.