As we continue our January refresh of our kitchens, we have two more tasks to complete.  These are cleaning our sinks and oven. Neither of these are tasks that we look forward to doing, but after they are done our kitchen will be ready to tackle anything that the winter months bring us!

To get your sink flowing smoothly and smelling fresh you only need three things, baking soda, vinegar, and boiling water. Simply pour ½ cup baking soda down the drain followed by slowly pouring in ½ cup of white vinegar. Close or cover the drain for fifteen minutes and allow it to foam, breaking up the buildup that can collect in your drain. The last step is to flush it with a tea kettle or saucepan of boiling water to remove all that the baking soda and vinegar have helped clean. This can be done for all drains in your house, including the bathrooms, to keep them clean, fresh, and flowing.

Now to tackle your oven. If you are someone who wipes up spills as they happen then this task is not daunting. If spills have accumulated on the bottom of your oven, then you have a few more steps to do. Many ovens have a self-cleaning setting. If you are using this feature, it is important to wipe up any spills before starting so you do not have the smoke detectors going off as the oven heats up.

Another method is to use a commercial oven cleaning spray. They work well for removing greasy buildup and spills. Just be cautious of the strong smells that some have. Fortunately, they now make some products that are low or no fumes.

A third method is to make a paste of baking soda and water and spread it in on the walls and floor of the oven. Allow the paste to sit for 30 minutes or overnight depending on how dirty your oven is. Use a synthetic scrubbing pad dipped in vinegar to finish the clean. Then wipe all surfaces with a damp cleaning cloth. For more in-depth oven cleaning tips use the information in this AnswerLine blog or give us a call at AnswerLine. We can be reached at 1-800-262-3804 (with an Iowa area code), or 515-296-5883 (for area codes outside of Iowa).

We hope you have learned a few things as we have refreshed our kitchens. Now that we have the kitchen cleaned and organized it is the perfect time to make some Spend Smart. Eat Smart. recipes!

Today’s guest blogger is Beth Marrs from ISU’s AnswerLine. To learn more from AnswerLine, visit the AnswerLine blog!