The cleaning expert reveals 7 key areas of your kitchen to spring clean

According to a cleaning expert, now is a good time to keep your kitchen sparkling clean. While it can be tempting to quickly wipe down the room with a disinfectant wipe, it’s important to give it a thorough cleaning, especially the parts that are often neglected. According to Polly Shearer, cleaning expert at Tap Warehouse, these are often the sinks, faucets, and under appliances.

1. Sink

The expert explains: “If a kitchen has a smelly sink, the nose immediately notices something of it. However, you can get used to the stench over time – so you have to take care of it as soon as possible.

“Washing dishes every day will inevitably result in small bits of food falling down the drain, and while it doesn’t seem like much, the buildup does build up and is most likely the center of the odor.”

One way to clear the drain is to pour boiling water into it, which will break down any food that may have built up.

If it doesn’t, use white vinegar and pour a small cup down the drain, followed by a hot flush 30 minutes later, which should unclog it.

READ MORE: White vinegar can kill pavement moss without scrubbing

However, if it’s still not enough, mix white vinegar with baking soda and pour the solution down the drain, let it “work its magic” for a few hours, followed by hot water.

2. Tap

The cleaning expert says: “Faucets often develop stubborn limescale over time, especially if you live in a hard water area.

“Lemons can work wonders at removing limescale due to their acidic nature, keeping your kitchen faucet sparkling clean.

“Simply rub the pulp of the citrus fruit onto chrome faucets or faucets and rinse with clean water. Making sure you flush the faucet afterwards is an important step, otherwise you risk eroding the surface of your faucet with the lemon residue.”

5. Exhaust fan

After cooking, eliminating any lingering odors is important to keep the kitchen airy and fresh, and when dirt builds up on the extractor fan, it hinders the job it’s supposed to do.

If your fan has filters, take them out and wash them one at a time with hot, soapy water. Make sure they are completely dry before putting them back in.

The expert said that a regularly used fan should be cleaned every three months to keep it in good condition.

6. Kettle

The cleaning professional explained: “Considering how often a kettle is used, for us Brits in particular, cleaning the kettle should be much higher on the priority list.

“If you live in a hard water area, it’s worth descaling your kettle to avoid floating particles in your tea.

“Thankfully, it’s pretty simple: toss some lemon slices in the kettle and boil. Let it sit for ten minutes before cooking again. The lime’s natural acids dissolve the lime in the kettle and can be washed away.

“If your kettle has quite a build up of scale, try filling it with a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water about a third of the way up the kettle.

“Boil it and let it soak for five minutes before draining the solution while you scrub the inside.

“A few clean water rinses afterwards should remove any vinegar residue and if not, throw in a few lemons to freshen things up.”

7. Am

A garbage bag will likely be changed a few times a week, but it’s important to think about how often the actual garbage can is cleaned.

Greasy food and discarded leftovers often seep through the bag into the bin, which can leave unpleasant odors in the home.

Polly said: “A thorough cleaning of your bin with hot, soapy water is more than enough to get rid of any residual dirt. If your trash can regularly gives off a foul odor, try putting some ground coffee on the bottom, which will neutralize any unpleasant odors.

“As the temperature begins to gradually rise, you should be aware of the impact warm weather is having on your bin. It’s not uncommon for maggots to be found under trash, as flies are attracted to leftover trash, which rots faster in the heat.

“During the warmer months, your trash can should be cleaned more frequently. A solution of white vinegar and water boiled in the kettle is enough to extinguish maggots and their eggs as well.”