Tips for kitchen upkeep
Continuing our fall house fixer-upper/cleaning, let’s go with the kitchen and what we can do ourselves to make it more reliable.
› Unclog refrigerator coils. Dust, pet hair, cobwebs and other debris clog coils, making the fridge impossible to run as efficiently as it should and can. The coils, located on the back side of the refrigerator or across the bottom, may be reached every six months by pulling the appliance away from the
wall. (Grab the sides and pull from the bottom.) Clean coils with the brush made especially for this chore (about $10 at home centers) and then vacuum. While down there, wipe down the rubber gaskets that line the inside edges of the fridge and freezer doors. A poor seal also makes the appliance work less efficiently. Be sure to use only warm water and a sponge and never detergents; the latter can do damage.
› Ship-shape the dishwasher. Stop wasting water! Pull out the lower dish rack. Remove the spray arm and use a thin piece of wire to clean out the hole where water sprays through. Scoop/vacuum out any leftover food particles from the filter area. Remove the filter screen if possible and rinse good in hot water. If the dishwasher is stinky or just unpleasant, after cleaning the filter, wipe the door with a spray cleaner. Finally, throw in a bottle of dishwasher cleaner for about $5 and run the machine empty.
› Degrease rangehood filters. As cooking fumes are sucked up and out of the kitchen, grease splatters build up and clogs the filter in the hood’s underside, which keeps the fan from working as it’s supposed to. This collection could cause the smoke alarm to BRRING, attract fruit flies or leave harmful pollutants from the gas or electric range lingering in the air. A motor replacement will run you about $200 to boot. Once a month, pop out the filter and run it through the dishwasher. While you’re at it, wipe the fan blades and the rest of the food with an all-purpose cleaner.
› Clean garbage disposal blades. If readers have noticed gunkedup blades that won’t grind up scraps the way they’re supposed to, causing potential backups and/or yucky smells, it’s time to do something about it. Several times a week, grind up a bunch of ice cubes without running water. While this makes a wild racket, it also does a great job of cleaning the blades. (A plumber advised me about this same tactic.) Follow this up with a few lemon or orange peels for a fresh smell and run cold water afterwards. Don’t forget the rubber splash guard is also a culprit, so scrub it big time. Take an old toothbrush or bottle brush that you’ve dipped in antibacterial grease-cutting kitchen cleaner and scrub, scrub, scrub the top and bottom of the splash guard.