| The Kitchen | | | | and leave it switched off with the door slightly ajar |
| The kitchen should be kept clean at all times. This is | | | | for a couple of days. The newspaper will absorb the |
| particularly difficult if your kitchen doubles as a | | | | smells |
| laundry room, try to sort your dirty washing on the | | | | Microwave Ovens |
| worktops as this could be unhygienic. If your pets | | | | Wipe out the interior with a damp cloth if any spills |
| ever walk on the surfaces in the kitchen, always | | | | occur. Keep the inside of the door and the seal |
| prepare food on chopping boards. | | | | scrupulously clean. If smells build up, place a bowel of |
| | | | water containing 15ml lemon juice in the oven and run |
| As a general rule the less you wash bakeware the | | | | on high power for one minute. Remove the bowel |
| better it performs. Ideally, just wipe with kitchen | | | | and wipe round the oven cavity with a cloth. |
| paper after use. Always follow any special care | | | | Refrigerators |
| instructions, some non-stick bakeware, for example, | | | | Most modern fridges have an automatic defrosting |
| should be washed in clear water only, without | | | | device. If yours is an older model, switch off at the |
| washing up liquid. Burnt deposits can be loosened by | | | | socket and defrost manually. |
| soaking in boiling solution of washing soda; do not try | | | | Remove all food. Transfer perishable goods into a |
| scraping deposits off non stick items with a knife. | | | | cool box. When defrosting is complete, remove the |
| Bakeware made from tin should be dried immediately | | | | drip tray and empty out the water. |
| after washing to prevent rusting. | | | | It is important not to damage the fridge while |
| Bins | | | | defrosting. You can speed up the process by use a |
| Kitchen bins should be emptied as soon as the | | | | hair dryer. Take care as not to keep water away |
| contents start to smell, even if the bin liner is not full, | | | | from hair drier. |
| and cleaned once a week with a solution of bleach or | | | | The fridge interior should be cleaned from time to |
| disinfectant. Drain the bin well after washing and if | | | | time with a solution of bicarbonate of soda, 15ml to |
| necessary wipe dry with kitchen paper. | | | | 1lt warm water. Then dry well with soft cloth. |
| Bread Bins | | | | If your fridge develops smells because of rotten |
| These should be washed out and dried once a week. | | | | food or because the power supply has been turned |
| If mould develops, wash and wipe the interior with | | | | off, clear out all food and wash the interior several |
| neat white vinegar allow to dry. | | | | times with bicarbonate of soda solution. Leave the |
| Chopping Boards | | | | fridge door open between washes until the smell has |
| Chopping Boards should be washed immediately after | | | | gone. |
| use. Wooden boards should be washed under hot | | | | Sinks |
| running water and scrubbed with washing up liquid. | | | | When washing up in a sink, use a plastic bowel to |
| Wipe over the surface with a sterilising solution and | | | | protect the surface. Swill out the sink before putting |
| stand the board on its long edge to dry naturally. | | | | in the bowel, as any trapped dirt or grit could scratch |
| Never soak a wooden board as this can cause | | | | the surface of the sink. |
| warping. Plastic boards can usually be washed in | | | | Keep the plughole clean at all times using a bottle |
| dishwasher. | | | | brush. Pour a little bleach down the plughole once a |
| Cupboards | | | | week, taking care to avoid the surface on the sink. |
| Kitchen cupboards should be cleaned out regularly | | | | Leave for a couple of minutes, then rinse away. |
| several times a year. Remove the food from each | | | | Acrylic sinks, these should be cared for with a cream |
| cupboard before starting any throw away any items | | | | cleaner, and an application of white vinegar or lemon |
| that are out of date. Wash out the interior with mild | | | | juice should remove stains |
| detergent solution, then rinse with warm water and | | | | Fireclay sinks, vitreous enamel sinks, should be |
| dry with kitchen paper. | | | | cleaned with a bath cleaning product approved by |
| Dishwashers | | | | the vitreous enamel association. |
| Wipe the exterior with mild detergent solution and | | | | Stainless steel sinks, These should be rinsed and dried |
| apply aerosol cleaner or polish. The interior should be | | | | at the end of each day to prevent water spotting. |
| cleaned when smells build up by running an empty | | | | Remove grease and surface soiling with undiluted |
| cycle with a proprietary dishwasher cleaner. | | | | washing up liquid. Never use abrasive cleaners or |
| Extractor Fans | | | | scouring pads. Polish with a proprietary sink cleaner or |
| It's important that these are kept clean or they will | | | | stainless steel polish rinse and dry. |
| not function properly. If you have them follow the | | | | Untreated wooden kitchen doors. |
| manufacturers instructions for cleaning, if not, use | | | | These will attract grease and dust, so wipe over |
| following method. | | | | regularly with a solution of washing up liquid and apply |
| Switch off at the mains, remove the flex socket | | | | a light coat of cleaner/polish. If dirt becomes a |
| from the main part of the fan and unscrew the front | | | | serious problem, clean the units thoroughly with |
| louvered grill. Clean the grill in a solution of washing up | | | | cream cleaner. Rinse, allow to dry and apply a coating |
| liquid. Allow to drain, then wipe with kitchen paper or | | | | of polyurethane seal. This will alter the appearance |
| a clean cloth to ensure it is toughly dry. To clean the | | | | slightly but will make cleaning easier in future. |
| fan blades, either use an anti static brush or unscrew | | | | Waste disposal units. |
| the blade unit and wash in soapy water. Use a teapot | | | | An electrical waste disposal unit is good for getting |
| brush to reach into any crannies in the motor and its | | | | rid of food debris and is particularly useful if you live |
| support. | | | | in an upstairs flat or anywhere that poses problems |
| Re- assemble all parts of fan and give it a trail run to | | | | with disposing of rubbish. |
| ensure it is working properly. | | | | Keep it clean, do not drop teaspoons down it and |
| Freezers | | | | get rid of any smells by grinding up waste citrus peel |
| Defrosting, Unless your freezer is of the frost free | | | | from grapefruit, lemons and oranges. |
| variety, it will need defrosting when the ice has | | | | Worktops |
| grown to a thickness of approximately 5mm. The | | | | Kitchen surfaces should be kept clean and dry at all |
| more often you open the door, The more often you | | | | times. Wash them after preparing food, using a |
| will need to defrost. | | | | cleaner containing bactericide, and dry with a kitchen |
| Unplug the freezer. Put on gloves to remove frozen | | | | towel. |
| food and place it either in cool boxes or in the | | | | Corian. This should be washed and dried as |
| refrigerator. Cover with towels of blankets to | | | | recommended above. Marks can be removed with a |
| increase insulation. | | | | household cleaner applied on an abrasive pad. Bad |
| Leave the freezer door open and the place old | | | | marks such as scorching can be sanded out with fine |
| towels on the freezer floor if it is a chest freezer or | | | | steel wool. |
| just in front of the freezer if it is an upright model. | | | | Laminated surfaces. These are fairly tough but you |
| Place bowels of hot water on the shelves and in the | | | | should not chop food or put hot dishes down on |
| shelves and in the bottom of the chest, keep | | | | them. Wash and dry as recommended above and |
| renewing the water as it cools, or use hair dryer, | | | | remove stains with undiluted washing up liquid. Or non |
| take with the heat around seals. | | | | abrasive household cleaner. Use abrasive creams only |
| Use a wooden or plastic spatula to loosen and scrape | | | | on very persistent stains. Smeary surfaces can be |
| off the ice as it thawing gets under way. Replace | | | | cleaned with a soft cloth dipped in white vinegar. |
| towels with new one when wet. | | | | Textured finished laminated surface. These attract |
| When defrosting is finished, first dry the interior with | | | | dirt and need frequent cleaning. Do not scrape at |
| clean towel, then rinse with a solution of bicarbonate | | | | ingrained dirt but use a solution of washing up liquid |
| of soda, 15ml to 1lt water, then dry. | | | | and a washing up brush to remove it. |
| After defrosting your freezer, paint a thin coating of | | | | Tiled surface. On heavily stained tiles use neat vinegar |
| glycerine over interior to prevent frost building up and | | | | or a solution of household cleaner. Rinse and wipe |
| make it easier to clean the next time. If you get any | | | | dry. Watch out for food deposits which lodge in |
| smells lingering, use a proprietary fridge/ freezer | | | | grouting. Clean regularly with old toothbrush dipped in |
| cleaner or solution of sterilising fluid for babies. | | | | a solution of household bleach. |
| Alternatively, fill the freezer with crumpled newspaper | | | | |