Below are 18 easy and fast cleaning hacks from Reichert and other cleaning experts. It’s so simple to learn how to clean nearly everything in your kitchen — and beyond.<\/p>
Key takeaways<\/h3>- You don’t need a cabinet full of expensive products to clean effectively — simple ingredients like baking soda, vinegar and lemon can tackle most kitchen messes. Understanding basic science (like acids breaking down grime or alcohol cutting grease) makes cleaning faster and easier.<\/li>
- Many tough cleaning jobs — like ovens, microwaves and coffee makers — can be simplified with soak-and-wait methods that loosen buildup with steam, vinegar or ammonia. These low-effort techniques reduce scrubbing and make stubborn messes easier to wipe away.<\/li>
- Everyday items and tools, from microfiber cloths to napkin-wrapped knives, can help clean hard-to-reach or delicate surfaces without damage. With the right approach, nearly every kitchen surface — from grout to stainless steel — can be cleaned efficiently using simple, practical hacks.<\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>
1. Inside the microwave<\/strong><\/h2>![\"How](\"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/06\/GettyImages-1248647835.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>“Steam lemon juice or white vinegar. Let the steam sit. Then wipe everything off,” Reichert suggests. “The acid in the steam removes built-up food.” But even heating plain water works, too. <\/p>
<\/p>
2. Greasy baking sheets<\/strong><\/h2>![\"How](\"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/06\/GettyImages-1147650702.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>Jill Nystul, a journalist-turned-blogger at One Good Thing by Jillee<\/a>, uses baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to clean baking sheets, stove burner pans and her flat iron<\/a>. She sprinkles on baking soda, pours on a little peroxide, sprinkles on more baking soda and waits at least two hours. After that, she says, you can practically just wipe it clean.<\/p>3. The oven<\/strong><\/h2>![\"How](\"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/06\/GettyImages-680841951.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>“One of my least favorite cleaning tasks in the kitchen<\/a> used to be the inside of the oven<\/a>,” says Nystul. “Scrubbing stubborn, greasy messes is hard enough without having to climb inside your oven to do it.” She puts a shallow dish with a cup of ammonia on the top rack, and a pot of boiling water on the lower. Let it sit overnight. In the morning, the mess wipes clean.<\/p>4. Toaster oven window<\/strong><\/h2>![\"How](\"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/06\/toaster-oven.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>Got melted plastic or other buildup on your toaster oven window? Use a straight-edge razor at a 45-degree angle to remove it. <\/p>
Read more:<\/strong><\/p>
- You don’t need a cabinet full of expensive products to clean effectively — simple ingredients like baking soda, vinegar and lemon can tackle most kitchen messes. Understanding basic science (like acids breaking down grime or alcohol cutting grease) makes cleaning faster and easier.<\/li>
- Many tough cleaning jobs — like ovens, microwaves and coffee makers — can be simplified with soak-and-wait methods that loosen buildup with steam, vinegar or ammonia. These low-effort techniques reduce scrubbing and make stubborn messes easier to wipe away.<\/li>
- Everyday items and tools, from microfiber cloths to napkin-wrapped knives, can help clean hard-to-reach or delicate surfaces without damage. With the right approach, nearly every kitchen surface — from grout to stainless steel — can be cleaned efficiently using simple, practical hacks.<\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>
1. Inside the microwave<\/strong><\/h2>
<\/figure><\/div>“Steam lemon juice or white vinegar. Let the steam sit. Then wipe everything off,” Reichert suggests. “The acid in the steam removes built-up food.” But even heating plain water works, too. <\/p>
<\/p>
2. Greasy baking sheets<\/strong><\/h2>
<\/figure><\/div>Jill Nystul, a journalist-turned-blogger at One Good Thing by Jillee<\/a>, uses baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to clean baking sheets, stove burner pans and her flat iron<\/a>. She sprinkles on baking soda, pours on a little peroxide, sprinkles on more baking soda and waits at least two hours. After that, she says, you can practically just wipe it clean.<\/p>
3. The oven<\/strong><\/h2>
<\/figure><\/div>“One of my least favorite cleaning tasks in the kitchen<\/a> used to be the inside of the oven<\/a>,” says Nystul. “Scrubbing stubborn, greasy messes is hard enough without having to climb inside your oven to do it.” She puts a shallow dish with a cup of ammonia on the top rack, and a pot of boiling water on the lower. Let it sit overnight. In the morning, the mess wipes clean.<\/p>
4. Toaster oven window<\/strong><\/h2>
<\/figure><\/div>Got melted plastic or other buildup on your toaster oven window? Use a straight-edge razor at a 45-degree angle to remove it. <\/p>
Read more:<\/strong><\/p>