The modern Kitchen has many appliances, which are very time-saving and easy to use. Most of them will come in contact with food on a daily basis. To be sure you’re not contaminating your food while storing and cooking it, you’ll need to keep these appliances clean and sanitized. This article is an Essential Guide to Deep Cleaning and Sanitizing Your Kitchen Appliances.

Perhaps the most important appliance in your kitchen is the refrigerator. Since it stores both raw and cooked food as well as drinks and other items. It’s important to keep it hygienic. The easiest way to give it a thorough cleaning is to remove all the food, the shelves, and the drawers first. As you wipe off the interior from top to bottom, soak the shelves and drawers in water mixed with dish soap. Cleaning the interior is best done with soap and water. Never use disinfectant cleaners like bleach, which can infiltrate your meals.

Many of today’s ovens have a self-cleaning feature. Always remove the shelves before starting the cleaning cycle. The oven will heat to extremely high temperatures for several hours, and it will turn stuck food to ash. These high temperatures will also dull the shelf’s shiny appearance and make the shelves more difficult to slide. Once the oven is cooled for several hours, sweep up the ash. When cleaning a stovetop, remove the burner grates and soak them in dish soap and water.

Remove the burner caps from your gas stove and soak them as well. For an electric stove, disconnect the burner coils and hand-clean them with the sponge. Clean loose food off the stovetop and wipe down the stovetop and burner knobs with a sponge or towel. A 1-to-1 mix of vinegar and water works well, but if there’s built-up grease present, use dish soap instead.

A microwave cleanup is pretty straightforward.  Just remove the turntable and soak it in soapy water. Place a microwave-safe bowl of vinegar and water in the oven and run it on high for 2 minutes. The vinegar steam will eliminate odors, and it will loosen hardened food to make cleaning the inside surfaces easier.

Lastly, there’s your dishwasher. Begin by removing the racks and wiping up any food and debris from the interior with a sponge. Then remove the filter that’s located in the drain. Empty the filter of debris and soak it in soapy water. Place the filter and shelves back into the unit and place a cup of white vinegar in the otherwise empty dishwasher. Set the dishwasher to its highest water temperature setting and run it for a full cycle. This will loosen any remaining food and grease and get rid of any odors. If your kitchen features stainless steel, appliances it’s best to clean the exterior with a product specially formulated for this purpose. Use mild detergent on non-stainless appliances.

By periodically deep cleaning your large kitchen appliances, you’ll keep them sanitary and running efficiently.

Kitchen Cleaning