5 Ways to Clean Your Kitchen in Mere Minutes

Use vinegar to clean your dishwasher.

Regularly cleaning your dishwasher helps maintain its efficiency — and you don’t have to lift a finger to do it, promises cleaning pro Kait Schulhof. Just fill a cup with white vinegar, place in the top rack and run on a normal cycle with no other dishes. Vinegar’s acidity eliminates mold, hard water deposits and other grime that can gum up your dishwasher’s inner workings.

Use a salty ice scrub to get rid of coffee stains.

To lift stubborn stains from unofficial kitchen “appliances” — namely your coffeepot or teapot — add five ice cubes, four teaspoons of salt, and one tablespoon of white vinegar to the carafe, says Schulhof. “The vinegar breaks down coffee and tea stains while the ice and salt create scrubbing power that removes them. Swirl the mixture, then clean your pot with soap and water before using.”

Use olive oil to polish stainless steel.

It’s easy to clean stainless-steel sinks and appliances with a spray of equal parts vinegar and water, says Schulhof. And the secret to keeping stainless pristine? Simply follow up with a little bit of olive oil. Explains Schulhof, “Just dab a small amount onto a cleaning rag and buff onto your stainless-steel appliances. The oil creates a barrier that helps prevent dust, grime and fingerprints from sticking.” 

Use lemon juice to clean your oven.

Fill an oven-safe tray with water and the juice of one lemon, along with both halves of the lemon, then place on the middle rack. Set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and let the water boil. Remove the tray after 30 minutes. The steam will loosen grease, making it a cinch to wipe down, while the lemon makes it smell fresh!

Use rubbing alcohol to clean granite.

To maintain notoriously delicate granite countertops, just combine 1/4 cup of rubbing alcohol, one cup of water, and one drop of dish soap, suggests Schulhof. “Add the mixture to a spray bottle, then lightly spritz your counters and wipe with a clean cloth. This DIY cleaner is safe and won’t damage granite tops but is strong enough to break up stains as well as disinfect.”

This article originally appeared in our print magazine.

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