The best kitchen cleaning hacks that actually work and save time, money and effort
No matter what room of the house it is, we all want cleaning to be as quick and easy as possible, and everything to sparkle and not have a speck of dust in sight.
While no one can promise you that, we can offer the best kitchen cleaning hacks that will go a long way in saving time, money and effort.
READ MORE: How a professional cleaner does a regular kitchen clean from start to finish
From ovens to benchtops, the dishwasher and dealing with bad smells, we have you covered with our favourite hacks for cleaning the kitchen.
Read on to find out some simple ways to improve your kitchen cleaning methods.
Remove dust from above cabinets
It's easy to forget about that gap between your kitchen cabinets and the ceiling but it collects an extraordinary amount of dust.
Cleaning it is also a nightmare that often requires a ladder and more than a few cloths.
So one way to avoid ever having to dust up here is to line the top of your cabinets with sheets of newspaper.
Every now and then remove the dusty newspaper and replace with new sheets.
The newspaper will collect all the dust that usually accumulates on the cabinet, making it easier to wipe down, if you even need to do that after trying this hack.
Foolproof and chemical free oven cleaning hack
A cleaning expert has shared a failproof hack that cleans your oven, chemical-free. All you need is one simple thing.
Dean Davies, oven cleaning technician at Fantastic Services, recently shared: "If you want to clean your oven without any harsh chemicals, simply place a heat-resistant container of water inside while it's still warm after cooking.
"Let it sit for 20 minutes, then turn off the oven and allow it to cool completely, then wipe out the inside with a damp cloth."
For extra dirty areas, he recommends making a homemade degreaser by combining two tablespoons of baking soda with one teaspoon of water. You could even add a few drops of essential oils to make your kitchen smell fresh.
You could also simply leave this mixture in the oven overnight, simply wiping it away in the morning with a damp cloth for "best results".
Descale a kettle
If you don't have citric acid on hand, you can also use vinegar to descale your kettle.
Just add equal parts vinegar and water to the kettle and boil. Leave the liquid to sit for 15 minutes before emptying and rinse out.
Or if you prefer the idea of using lemons, slice one up and add the pieces to the kettle with water and boil. Leave to sit for 15 minutes before emptying and rinsing.
You might also need to scrub with a soft brush or wipe with a cloth (once the inside of the kettle isn't so hot it'll burn you).
If the build up is particularly bad you might need to repeat the process once or twice.
Clean oven racks
Oven racks are one of those cleaning jobs we put off because it's so fiddly to scrub each piece of metal.
But you can save yourself time and frustration by giving them a bath with a few dishwasher tablets and hot water.
After three hours they should be looking shiny and clean again.
Carolina McCauley showed her followers how to do this one on on TikTok.
Multi-purpose kitchen spray
Dishwashing detergent can clean all sorts of things, not just your dishes.
One of the things it can clean is surfaces when turned into a cleaning spray.
Add a drizzle of detergent to a spray bottle and then add water.
Use this to spray benches and cabinets and wipe with a cloth.
The best part about this hack is that it is super cheap to make and can be used in the bathroom to clean the vanity and shower screens as well.
Remove sticky sauce spills
Professional organiser and home hacks guru Anita Birges recommends using a Magic Eraser for the sticky residue left behind by honey and sauce in the pantry.
Just grab the Magic Eraser and rub it over the sticky stain until it's gone.
Another tip for Magic Erasers: don't worry about the brand. Any melamine sponge will do the job, and generic brands are often a lot cheaper.
Remove grey marks from plates and bowls
Those grey scratches on your crockery aren't scratches at all. Instead they are marks or stains from your cutlery and it's possible to remove them.
There are a few ways to get rid of these stains and the cheapest is to make a paste with bi-carb soda and water and gently scrub with a sponge.
For the transformation above, a TikToker used The Pink Stuff miracle cleaning paste. They used a Scrub Daddy sponge and elbow grease to buff away the stains before rinsing the paste off.
Clean the oven
Skip the store bought oven cleaners and instead whip up your own cleaning paste made from baking soda and dishwashing detergent.
Home hacks queen Chantel Mila used this DIY combo to clean her oven.
She covered the oven doors and the inside (being careful to avoid the fan and vents) with the paste and left it on for two hours.
To remove it, and any grease and grime, Mila used an Oates scraper blade, but you could always scrub with a non-scratch scourer or microfibre cloth before wiping off with a damp cloth.
Remove stains from a plastic chopping board
Organisation expert Anita Birges uses this hack to remove stains from chopping boards.
Sprinkle bi-carb soda over your chopping board and then squeeze the juice from half a lemon over it.
Leave the lemon juice and baking soda to work away for 10 minutes.
Then take to the sink, pour white vinegar on it and scrub with a scourer or steel wool.
Rinse off to finish.
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