7 Kitchen Cleaning Tricks You’ll Wish You’d Known Sooner

1. Wiping down surfaces

One of the most common mistakes with using a disinfectant spray is not letting it sit long enough. Once you've sprayed down your countertops and other surfaces allow the spray to sit for approximately five minutes. This allows the disinfectant to break down grime and actually kill germs. Let the sray sit on a surface in order to be most effective – this might be anywhere between 5-10 minutes so read the product label.

3. Cleaning oven rack

Most of us are guilty of having oven racks that are covered in burnt bits. And when we do go to scrub them clean, it can require a bit of elbow grease and time. Cleaning guru Chantel Mila has a much easier solution that requires very little effort.

Simply lay an old towel in a bath (you could use your shower or a large sink) and soak the oven racks in hot water. Add one scoop of laundry powder and leave them to soak overnight. Voilà! Now you’re left with shining oven racks.

5. DIY oven cleaner

Your oven should be deep cleaned approximately once every three months. It can be stubborn to clean but this technique will make things a bit easier. Mix up a paste of baking soda, dish soap, and water. Pop on some gloves and apply the paste to the inside of your oven. Leave this to sit overnight and in the morning scrub the paste off with your hands. Next, spray the surfaces with vinegar and wipe down. You're now left with a sparkling oven.

7. Oven gap cleaner

If you have a gap between your freestanding oven and countertop, chances are you don't bother cleaning that area – understandably. You can, however, use a butter knife and a clean cloth to gently slide into the gap and give it a wipe down as shown in this video.

Another sneaky little spot that often doesn't get cleaned is the edge of electric stove tops. If You can use a toothpick wrapped in paper towel to clean around the edge.