Simple Ways to Clean Up Kitchen Messes

Messes in the Microwave

Combine 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 cup water in a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat the mixture in the microwave to a boil; let it boil for 3 minutes and stand for 5 minutes to allow the steam to loosen the dried on gunk.  Wipe down the inside with a damp cloth and the mess should disappear. 

Cleaning Burned On Food from Pots and Pans

Forget scrubbing, soak burned-on foods from casseroles and pans with liquid fabric softener. Fill the casserole or pan with very hot water, add a squirt of liquid fabric softener, and soak for an hour or until residue wipes easily away.

Spill That Seeped Under the Oven or Refrigerator

For wooden floors, mix 1/3 cup white vinegar and 1/2 gallon warm water. Note: If your wooden floors are waxed, avoid vinegar and use a waxed-floor cleaner, if your floor is tile or stone, use only plain hot water or a special stone cleaner.  Dip a soft cloth in the mixture, wrap it around a ruler, and slide it under the appliance. Rinse and repeat until the cloth comes out clean.

Removing Stains from Your Sink

A tried and true remedy for stained sinks: Make a paste with 1/2 cup of powdered borax and the juice of 1/2 lemon. Dab a sponge in the mixture, rub, and rinse with running water—it’ll work like a charm whether your sink is made of porcelain enamel, stainless steel, or any other material.

Burned Food in the Oven

Allow the oven to cool. Dislodge large chunks with a plastic spatula, then sprinkle baking soda over whatever bits remain. Spritz with water and let it sit over-night, then scrub with a soft damp cloth or damp Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.

Freezer Spills and Messes

Unplug the refrigerator (water and electricity don’t mix). Next, combine 1 tablespoon baking soda and 1 quart hot water in a bucket. Wet a sponge in the mixture and use it to melt and wipe up the spill in the freezer. You can also scrape stubborn spots with a plastic spatula. Dry the area with a cloth once it’s clean.

Broken Glass in the Dishwasher

Remove the larger pieces of the broken glass and dispose of properly. Then turn off the lights and shine a flashlight into the dishwasher. Any shards will sparkle. Halve a raw potato, and put on heavy-duty gloves. Dab the cut face of the potato over any specks, says Stegner. The shards will become embedded in the potato, which you can then discard. Run an empty cycle to flush out any very tiny pieces.

Dropped or Spilled Eggs

If your ever dropped or spoiled a raw egg, cleaning it up can be a bigger mess. A quick tip…sprinkle salt generously on the raw egg. Use enough salt to cover the entire area of the spilled egg. Let it soak up the egg for 10 minutes, then wipe up with dry paper towels. 

Follow by spraying with a disinfectant cleaner and rinsing with a warm, damp cloth. That slimy mess and the bacteria that goes with it will be gone in a flash.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Yuganov Konstantin/Shutterstock.com.