Five cleaning tips to make your kitchen sparkle

Kids? Pets? Or just plain messy from time-to-time? Don't worry, you're not alone. So when it comes to cleaning the kitchen, you know how much of a daunting, but rewarding undertaking it can be.

Julie McKnight is an in-house chef from ILVE Appliances and has 5 top tips for keeping your kitchen glistening you won't be able to do without.

The world of kitchen bits and bobs is one murky one, especially in winter! We've got our edit of kitchen must-haves to keep you toasty whilst it's cool.

Eucalyptus oil!

A few drops of eucalyptus oil in a container of soapy water will clean the glass on your oven door and cut through grease, leaving a great finish (it performs similarly well on shower screens against soap scum, too!).

If you wanted to extend it to outside your place, too, this mix is perfect for spider-webbed windows. Spiders don’t like the smell of eucalyptus, so it will keep them at bay for a while. On the green side of things, eucalyptus oil is natural, safe, and antibacterial, making it a wonderful product to clean with.

Ever thought about vinegar?

Wiping the inside of your steamers with white vinegar to stop smells developing once the door is closed, is a great idea. Sometimes it's those unique use appliances that you don't use as frequently as your fridge or oven, for example that need a bit of TLC to keep them good until next time. If you take a trip, for instance, the vinegar will ensure you don’t return to any funky odours.

Laundry detergent has many uses

To clean oven racks, remove them from the oven and soak them in your laundry detergent of choice and hot water overnight. The next day, they’ll wipe clean with a sponge, or you can just place them in the dishwasher if you don’t fancy cleaning in the morning... Or any time of day!

A handy vinegar and water mix works wonders

To clean your flat plates and dishes, cover it with a couple sheets of paper towel, then pour a jug filled with 50-50 white vinegar and water over it. Allow the plate to soak while you eat your meal. Once you’re ready to clean up, pull the paper towel toward you and it will clean most of what is on the plate. This unpeeling process will also neutralise the plate, removing the flavours and smells from previous cooking. This is great if you’ve been cooking fish and then, say, want to cook sweet pancakes (unless fishy pancakes are a flavour combo you’re keen to try!). Finish off the job with a scourer, or a BBQ pumice if needed.

Never underestimate the power of soap and a sponge

Post-cooking, induction cooktops can be cleaned with a warm, soapy sponge or a non-scratch scourer. Wipe dry with a paper towel, and then it’s time for that magical solution yet again – white vinegar – to leave the surface sparkling. If a pan has scuffed the glass surface, it can be polished out with a cooktop polish (available on supermarket shelves), though this will leave a greasy finish, so simply reapply the white vinegar to reintroduce the sparkle.