You’re planning Thanksgiving dinner menus and setting out pumpkins, designing place settings and deciding how old is too old to sit at the kids’ table. But as you get ready for the big holiday, don’t forget to clean the place where you’ll prepare the meal. You don’t want to cook Thanksgiving dinner in a dirty kitchen! As you put together your Thanksgiving meal ideas, make time to thoroughly clean some of the kitchen’s most-used areas. And if the idea of cleaning on top of everything else is simply overwhelming, feel free to check out our clean home services!
Cleaning Kitchen Counters and Work Areas
You’re going to be rolling out pie crusts and chopping your Thanksgiving vegetables here, so they need to be sparkling clean. Having food residue on the surface where you’ll be preparing your cookie dough isn’t just gross — it’s also a food safety concern. And if you’re using your counter as a serving area, or if guests will be gathering for Thanksgiving holiday drinks around the island, you’ll want to make sure you’ve gotten rid of any ugly kitchen oil stains. While you should be cleaning your kitchen counters daily, give them a little extra love before Thanksgiving. You can easily incorporate this into your other daily cleaning tasks — do a counter deep clean while you’re washing up after dinner, for example. Every countertop material has different care requirements, so make sure you’re using the right cleaning agents for your countertop type. And once your countertops are looking their best, add some Thanksgiving colors with a display of gourds or pumpkins!
How to Clean an Oven
Going to clean an oven can be a little overwhelming. You’re probably thinking of opening all the windows in preparation for the foul odors of a self-cleaning cycle or a conventional oven cleaner. Maybe you’ve even been avoiding the task because just thinking about it makes you feel a little sick. But there are better ways to clean an oven — and they don’t involve setting off the smoke alarm or buying caustic chemicals.
Cleaning an oven with baking soda is not only more natural, cheaper, and easier on your lungs, it’s also surprisingly effective. Baking soda breaks down the grease and food residue that’s gotten caked onto the inside of your oven, so all you have to do is scrub it off. To clean an oven with baking soda, mix baking soda with just enough water to form a thick paste. Spread the paste all over the bottom and sides of your oven (check the top for splatters, as well!), and let it sit. If you just have a few stains and grease spots, you only need to let it sit about 15 minutes; if you’ve been putting off cleaning the oven, leave it overnight.
You should have already removed the oven racks, and this is a good time to take care of them, too. If you’re wondering how to clean an oven rack, you can use the same technique: spread a baking soda paste all over the grimy racks, and let them sit for a few hours or overnight.
Once the baking soda cleaning your oven has had time to do its work, wipe it off. You’ll want to use gloves for this part, and you may need a spatula to get off the hardened paste. Once most of the baking soda is gone (and the grime with it!), you can also spritz some white vinegar on what’s left. The chemical reaction will help further loosen any remaining dirt to clean the oven. Finally, use a damp rag to remove the last of the baking soda. If there’s still any residue, use an old scrubby sponge to get it off. Do the same for your oven racks. Finally, replace the racks and enjoy your shiny, clean oven! Cleaning the oven with baking soda will achieve a beautiful result, without all the negative effects on your health and kitchen.
How to Clean a Dishwasher
The dishwasher might be the last appliance you think to clean. After all, cleaning is its literal job. But it’s important to clean a dishwasher regularly (every month, in fact), to avoid food and hard water buildup that can prevent it from doing its job. Making sure to clean the dishwasher before the holiday will help ensure that you don’t end up with a pile of badly washed dishes after Thanksgiving dinner.
First, you’ll need to clean the accumulated food residue out of the drain. Check your owner’s manual to see how to access the drain on your model. This is the most common place to find buildup (and it can be pretty nasty!). While you’re at it, check the owner’s manual for instructions on cleaning the dishwasher filter. While you might not think of it, these tasks are necessary to clean a dishwasher and keep it functioning well.
The next step is to remove grease and other buildup from the inside of the dishwasher. Cleaning the dishwasher with vinegar provides an easy and natural way to do this. Fill a dishwasher-safe container with about a cup of white vinegar, and run the dishwasher on a normal wash cycle. The acidic vinegar will work to remove built-up grease and stains. As a last step, cleaning the dishwasher with baking soda will help kill any lingering odors. Just sprinkle about a cup of baking soda over the bottom of the dishwasher and run it on another short cycle. While it’s running, wipe down the outside of the dishwasher with an all-purpose cleaner (use stainless steel cleaner if you have a stainless steel machine).
Have a Clean Thanksgiving Kitchen
Having a clean kitchen before the holiday hits will take a load of stress off of your shoulders and let you focus on planning your Thanksgiving dinner menus and finding the perfect Thanksgiving table decor. More importantly, you’ll be able to spend time with family and friends instead of frantic last-minute cleaning.
If you can’t fit deep cleaning into your schedule this season, or if you’d rather spend time with the people closest to you, then call us at (571) 732-2199 for local house cleaning services near me. Ask us how to estimate cleaning a house – we are always happy to offer a free estimate! We offer cleaning services on weekends and weekdays, so you can save money and spend time on what matters most to you. We are bonded, licensed, and insured for your protection. All staff members are experienced in the industry and pass a 7-year background check. Additionally, our team is fully vaccinated, and we follow COVID-19 safety protocols.
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