Anyone else doing a 'spring clean'?

Leaporlepor

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Erm, why are you gong to waste your time and money washing these? Don't they get cleaned after every time you use them already?QUOTE]

I have quite a few things that I don't use often. Extra plates/ cutlery/glasses/cups, larger baking trays, cake making/preserving equipment and plenty of other things. So I make a practice to clean those things twice a year because of dust and grease. The linens will be things that I am using to clean up, dish cloths/tea towels etc. Also theres oven mits/aprons etc. that don't get cleaned after every use. Also the nets and curtains need to be washed.

-taff

use washing powder or liquid. Cuts through grease better than washing up liquid for things like th etops of cupboards in kitchens etc.

gayleygoo

If you have a dishwasher, place your oven racks/grills in on top of the plates. Take them out before the drying cycle is complete and any baked on dirt should rub off easily. If only I could get the oven in the dishwasher

Leaporlepor

gayleygoo wrote: »

If you have a dishwasher, place your oven racks/grills in on top of the plates. Take them out before the drying cycle is complete and any baked on dirt should rub off easily. If only I could get the oven in the dishwasher

Unfortuantly no dishwasher but I was told that putting them in (a clean) dustbin with bicarby water can make it easier to get rid of greasy ick.

Ilona

Leaporlepor wrote: »

Time for my spring clean and I aim to do it for as little as possible. So that means using up what cleaning products I have and making them do and borrowing what large cleaning machines rather than renting. Methinks that there will be a large amount elbow grease involved.

Day 1: Kitchen,

Need to wash all cutlery, crockery, oven trays etc. Will make my washing up liquid last by using less and scrubbing more.

Cleaning all appliances using what I have, when I run out it will be vinegar, bi-carb and lemon juice

Windows and tiles, as above

Washing all kitchen linens, I already have an eco ball and plenty of stain remover. Will dry outside rather than putting the heating on. It goes without saying to use the washing maching at the maximum capacity. I think that I shall presoak in boiling water so I can wash on a lower temperature.

Cleaning out cupboards and draws, once clean I will live them to make it easier, quicker and (hopefully) cheaper to keep clean.

Box up anything that I no longer use/want to flog.

Descale anything that needs it to make it run cheaper and last longer

Sort through and inventory all food etc. so I don't keep buying stuff that I already have.

Sort through and inventory cleaning supplies so I don't buy more until I need to.

Clean oven, I have some oven cleaner so thats ok.

I'm sure that there is more to do but cannot think of them at the moment.

My God, that lot sounds dead boring. If you do these jobs on a regular basis, a rota, things should be ticking over nicely in your kitchen, and you can go out and enjoy yourself.
Ilona

Leaporlepor

Ilona wrote: »

My God, that lot sounds dead boring. If you do these jobs on a regular basis, a rota, things should be ticking over nicely in your kitchen, and you can go out and enjoy yourself.
Ilona

I do some on a regular basis but actually enjoy the complete works twice a year.

Owain_Moneysaver

Leaporlepor wrote: »

I have quite a few things that I don't use often. Extra plates/ cutlery/glasses/cups, larger baking trays, cake making/preserving equipment and plenty of other things. So I make a practice to clean those things twice a year because of dust and grease.

Cling-film them when you put them away and they'll stay clean.

Value clingfilm is no more expensive than value washing-up liquid, and less effort.

hereigoagain22

Life is too short for all that.

My advice - get some boxes and black bags and bin/donate anything you haven't used in 6months.

Give everything a rinse and let it air dry. Give your cupboards a quick rinse with a disinfectant and let them air dry and then put everything back neatly inside.

Stop buying food until you've used up whats in your cupboards. I can imagine it would take ages to sort it all out but once it's much emptier it will be easier to keep clean.

Can you borrow a steamer? I bought mine for £15 off Amazon and use it every couple of months, it takes 5mins and really gets all the grime off the cooker knobs, between the tiles, round the taps etc. Can do the windows and floor with this too. I've used it on the oven but found a good strong oven cleaner was better. I'm pretty lazy - I normally spray it on abundantly, come back later in the day and give a scrub and rinse then repeat the cycle until it's clean.

Cleaning products - don't buy any more until you've used it what you have. One small box in the kitchen cupboard is plenty.

The kitchen linens will be fine on a 30degree wash with a bit of powder then left outside the air in the sun for a day. The sun is a natural bacteria and odour destroyer.

I'm a minimalist and find that most people hoard so much in the kitchen. Go through the drawers with an open black bag and bin anything that you can live without - makes life so much easier! My kitchen drawers have cutlery, teatowels, a few important letters and some tools (screw driver etc.) I have a cupboard with some cleaning bits and then have my dishes, glasses and cookware. Then food. All my cupboards are neat and tidy but I put no effort in. It's so much easier to keep clean if there's no stuff to make a mess with.