After a busy work week, the last thing we want to do is spend our precious free time deep cleaning our household appliances. But after months of family baking and washing grubby soccer uniforms, there comes a point where we can’t ignore the affronting build up of grime.
The good news is, often the thought of cleaning household appliances is actually worse than the reality – and a lot of the time the same products can be used across multiple devices, meaning you’re not having to make multiple trips to the cleaning aisle.
If you’re ready to deep clean and and are looking for pain-free ways to get the job done, keep reading to learn how to clean those tricky home appliances.
How to clean a dishwasher
- Empty your dishwasher.
- Place a dishwasher-safe cup of vinegar on the top rack.
- Run the dishwasher on the hottest and longest cycle.
Tip: A baby’s bottle brush is ideal for cleaning your dishwasher filter – rinse loose particles under a running tap, then use hot soapy water and the brush to access the inner filter; lightly scrub outside of filter.
How to clean a microwave
- Empty 1-2 tbsp of vinegar or lemon in a small microwave-safe bowl of water.
- Then, put the bowl into the microwave for three minutes on high, or until boiling.
- Leave the door closed for five minutes.
- Remove the bowl and wipe the inside.
How to clean a stove
- Mix 1 part vinegar, 2 parts baking soda, and a few drops of dish soap in a bowl.
- Rub the mixture onto the stove in circular motions and let it sit for 20 minutes.
- Wash the mixture off with soap and a sponge.
How to clean a fridge
- Empty the fridge and wipe down the contents – a perfect time to dispose of your expired products.
- Remove the shelves and drawers.
- Spray the inside of the fridge with a solution of vinegar and water and let it soak. Wipe down with a Chux or similar cleaning rag.
- You can either wash the shelves and drawers with soapy water, or use the same vinegar and water solution. Dry them off and return them to the fridge.
- Restock your fridge.
Tip: Line the door compartments of your fridge with compostable baking paper or paper towel, then simply throw it in the compost when it gets grubby.
How to clean an oven
- If it’s not already, turn your oven off and wait for it to cool down.
- Remove the racks.
- Combine 1 cup of baking soda and 1/2 a cup of dish detergent.
- Remove the racks, put on rubber gloves and clean the racks with the mixture.
- Repeat with the inside of the oven – paying extra attention to the grimy parts.
- Let it sit overnight.
- Wipe down the oven and racks with a damp dish cloth. You can also spray the oven with vinegar and give it one more wipe down if you feel necessary.
- Return the racks.
How to clean a washing machine
- Remove your clothes from the machine.
- Place 2 cups of white vinegar into the detergent dispenser and run an empty cycle on hot.
- While the cycle is on, mix a 1/4 cup of vinegar with a 1/4 cup of warm water.
- Once the cycle is over, use a sponge (and a toothbrush for the creases) to scrub the inside of the machine with the mixture. You can also pull out any removable parts to scrub them separately.
- Use the same mixture to wipe down the exterior of the machine.
- Once you’ve finished scrubbing, run a second cycle on hot (with no vinegar this time).
- Afterwards, wipe down any remaining residue with a microfibre cloth.
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