Kitchen Cleaning Tips

Another bunch of tips I snagged from a friend and sharing

Enjoy :)

"Kitchen Cleaning" 

  
Instead of using commercial waxes, shine appliances by using rubbing alcohol.
To whiten appliances that have begun to yellow, apply a mixture of 1/2 cup bleach, 1/4 cup baking soda and 4 cups warm water. Let set for 10 minutes before rinsing and drying.
Clean stainless steel burner pans on stoves by putting them in a large pan, adding enough water to cover, and 3/4 to 1 cup baking soda. Simmer on low for about 1 hour, then wash with regular detergent. Any stains that remain can be removed by ribbing lightly with a steel wool soap pad.
Run greasy stove hood filters through the dishwasher.

Blender

To clean the blender, fill part way with hot water and add a drop of detergent. Cover and turn it on for a few seconds. Rinse and drain dry.

Broiler

To clean the broiler pan, sprinkle the hot pan heavily with dry laundry detergent. Cover with a dampened paper towel and let the burned food set for a while. The pan should require little scouring.
When broiling, put a cup of water in the bottom of the broiler pan before starting. Cleanup is easier, and the drippings create instant gravy. This also eliminates smoke.

Butcher Block

Minimize stains and cover scratches by rubbing mineral oil on surfaces. Mineral oil is odor-free and nontoxic.

Can Opener

Loosen grime from a can opener by brushing with an old toothbrush. To thoroughly clean blades, run a paper towel through the cutting process.

Cast Iron

To clean cast iron skillets, clean the OUTSIDE of the pan with commercial oven cleaner. Let set for 2 hours and the black stains can be removed with vinegar and water. After cleaning pan, take a piece of wax paper and, while skillet is still warm, wipe around the inside to prevent rusting. Or, when clean, rub a small amount of oil  on the inside of the pan to keep it seasoned.
To remove charred food and burn spots from cast iron skillets, boil vinegar and salt in the skillet.
Put a coffee filter into cast iron skillets when you put them away. The filter absorbs moisture and prevents rusting.

China

To remove coffee or tea stains and cigarette burns from fine China, rub with a damp cloth dipped in baking soda.

Coffee Pot

Perk one tablespoon powder dishwashing detergent and a full pot of water through the coffeemaker to get it clean without any scrubbing.
Remove stains from a glass pot by rubbing them with a lemon slice.

Copper

Remove tarnish from cooper cookware by mixing equal parts of salad and vinegar or salt and lemon juice. Rub it into the tarnished area with a paper towel. Restore the copper's shine by scrubbing it with a wet steel wool soap pad. (Avoid abrasives on soft tin linings.)
Wipe tarnished cooper with undiluted tomato juice applied with a soft, clean cloth and your pot bottoms and candlesticks will shine! Make sure that you rinse thoroughly.

Crystal

Vinegar is a must when washing crystal. Rinse in 1 part vinegar to 3 parts warm water. Air dry. Crystal will be spotless!

Cutting Board

To rid cutting board of onion, garlic or fish smell, cut a lime or lemon in two and rub the surface with the cut side of the fruit.
Pour liquid bleach on the cutting board to clean and sanitize it. Rinse well, then apply a bit of mineral oil.
Pour liquid bleach on the cutting board to clean and sanitize it. Rinse well, then apply a bit of mineral oil.
To make a stained cutting board look like new, mix a couple teaspoons of liquid bleach into a dishpan full of warm water. Scrub the board. Rinse the board several times with very hot water.

Deodorizer

Boil a little vinegar or a teaspoon of cloves in a half-cup water to dispel cooking odors.

Detergent

Always use the cheapest brand of dishwashing detergent available, but add a few tablespoons of vinegar to the dishwater. The vinegar will cut the grease and leave your dishes sparkling clean.

Dishes

To quickly remove food that is stuck to a casserole dish, fill it with boiling water and add 2 tablespoons of baking soda or salt.
Use the cheapest brand of dishwashing detergent available. Add a few tablespoons of vinegar to the dishwater. The vinegar cuts and grease and leaves dishes sparkling clean.

Dishwasher

To clean, use regular powdered laundry bleach instead of dishwasher detergent in an empty machine. It cleans and disinfects.
Before loading the silverware tray, place a sponge in the bottom. It will prevent small utensils from falling to the bottom.
To remove stains from the inside of the dishwasher, set a cup of bleach in the bottom of the dishwasher and run it through the entire cycle. Then run a cup of vinegar through an entire cycle. DO NOT mix the bleach and vinegar as it will cause poisonous gases in the dishwasher.
When removing dishes from the dishwasher, unload the bottom rack first so that water that has pooled in glasses or cups on the top rack doesn't drip onto the dishes below.

Disposal

Grind a half lemon or orange rind in the disposal to remove any unpleasant odor.
Deodorize it by running lemon, orange or grapefruit peel through it.

Food Grinder

After using a food grinder, get all the ground material out and make the grinder much easier to clean by running a slice of bread through it before dismantling.

Formica

Scrape dried food spills off counters with a square plastic tab such as that found on bread bags. It won't scratch as a metal utensil might.
Polish Formica tops to a sparkle with club soda.

Freezer

A piece of charcoal in your freezer will keep it smelling sweet.
To clean a frost-free freezer, mix 1/2 cup of isopropyl alcohol with a dishpan full of lukewarm water. The alcohol loosens any icy matter. Sponge away the dirt. The alcohol evaporates rapidly, so you do not have to dry.

After defrosting the freezer, spray it with alcohol or vegetable oil spray. It will be less work the next time you defrost.