I am a self-proclaimed clean freak. I mean my family is very neat but I need to have things completely clean even in the places you can’t see. Because It’s usually those places that affect the things you can see! For example, if things are starting to pile up on the counter even though you have a junk drawer, it’s probably because the junk drawer is full & could use a good cleaning up + clearing out.
And that’s the point of this post – to talk about some of the spaces that I tend to forget about cleaning (or never considered until it hit me in the face). Now I make it a point to deep clean all the things on a regular basis so that there’s no build up that ends up taking an entire weekend to tackle.
Refrigerator Parts
Yes it’s great to clean the outside of all your appliances, especially the handles.
There’s nothing like shiny stainless steel. And of course the drawers & bins get a good wipe down regularly. So what else is there?
The Icemaker
Got funky ice? Time to clean the ice tray and wipe down the ice maker. Even if your ice is just fine, it’s a good idea to clean it quarterly anyway.
Take the tray out & wash it with mild dish soap & water. Rinse well & let dry.
The Gaskets
The door & drawers seals can trap a lot of gunk. And God forbid something spills… this is the 1 place in the fridge that gets overlooked the most. But keeping them clean is vital to keeping the appliance working efficiently. So get in there with some q-tips and clean all up in between those rubber gaskets!
The Coils
This sounds like a major chore but it’s really not. If you roll the fridge away from the wall, you’ll probably see lots of dust build up underneath & on the back.
Use a vacuum cleaner with a detachable wand to clean all that dust. Do the same in the front bottom of the fridge. It will be much more efficient after you do this.
Water & Ice Dispensers
I discovered this one by accident… if you’ve never done this before, get down low & look up into the dispenser(s) on your fridge. Some really nasty things can be lurking in there & you’re drinking it!
Again, get up into those dispenser hoses with a q-tip or pipe cleaner. Then wipe down the pads too.
The Garbage Disposal
I’m sure you already know about the lemon/orange method to freshen the garbage disposal. But sometimes you have to get in there & actually clean things.
You could try the baking soda & vinegar method – pour in a cup of backing soda followed by straight vinegar. I find that this works best for maintenance when done on a regular basis.
But for a deep clean you either have to remove the splash guard or get under there really well with a brush. You’ll be amazed what you pull out AND the difference it makes. (There’s all kinds of cool gadgets to make this easy & fun, but a standard dish brush will work just fine.)
The Dishwasher
Like the fridge, we tend to clean the outside of the dishwasher a lot because we look at it all the time.
Every 1-3 months, the inside of the dishwasher should be cleaned too. Whether you run a commercial cleaner through it or get in there with an all purpose cleanser, just like the fridge it’ll help prolong the life of your appliance AND it’ll clean better!
Same goes for the washing machine. Run a cycle to clean the washing machine using a commercial cleaner made for that purpose or just run a cycle of vinegar & baking soda.
Under The Cooktop
You probably clean our cooktop or stove top every time you cook but have you ever considered what might be lurking underneath it?
Food, oils, and spices can easily build up under the lip of the cooktop where it meets the counter. To clean it, run a toothpick, chopstick, or putty knife under the edge.
Stovetops are even easier. Most are hinged so you can just prop them open to clean underneath the burners.
What’s the best cleanser for all these areas?
An all purpose cleanser will get the job done for every one of these least cleaned spots. I personally like to use a simple vinegar & essential oil mixture unless I have some really nasty spots. Then I’ll use either my heavy duty all purpose cleanser or Grove Collaborative all purpose cleaner.
What areas of the kitchen to find yourself cleaning that I missed here?
Notice I didn’t include the counters, the outside of the stove/oven/cooktop, or pantry & cabinets. That’s because these are places we have to look at every day. So it’s easy to keep them clean & organized (okay maybe not so much the pantry & cabinets – I have other tips for staying organized there).
I’d love to know what forgotten & unexpected things you regularly clean in the kitchen. Drop a comment & share!
