How to Deep Clean Your Kitchen Appliances

What you need

Baking soda, white vinegar, a few lemons, dish soap, microfiber cloths, an old toothbrush and rubber gloves. No harsh chemicals.

Oven

1. Spread a paste of baking soda and water inside, keeping it off the heating elements. Leave it overnight.
2. Wipe it out. Spray stubborn spots with vinegar, then finish with a damp cloth.
3. Soak the racks separately in hot, soapy water.
4. Use the same paste on the glass door.

Running the self-clean cycle? Crack a window. The fumes are stronger than most people expect in a closed-up Florida kitchen with the AC on.

Refrigerator

• Wash shelves and drawers in warm soapy water, never hot, or cold glass can crack.
• Wipe the inside with a mild baking soda solution. It cleans and deodorizes.
• Scrub the door gasket folds with a toothbrush. In Florida humidity they grow mold fast.
• Vacuum the condenser coils (behind or under the unit) once or twice a year so the fridge doesn't overheat.
• Wipe the handles and door edges daily. They collect more bacteria than almost anything else in the kitchen.

Dishwasher

• Pull the bottom rack and clear the filter. A dirty filter is the biggest cause of smells and cloudy dishes.
• Run an empty hot cycle with a cup of white vinegar on the top rack, then a short cycle with baking soda sprinkled on the floor.
• Wipe the door edges and gasket, which the spray never reaches.
• Clear clogged spray-arm holes with a toothpick.

Microwave

Heat a bowl of water with a few lemon slices for three to four minutes, then wipe. The steam loosens the splatter. Get the underside of the turntable, the ceiling and the door seal too.

How often

• Microwave and dishwasher filter: monthly
• Fridge interior: every season
• Oven and coils: twice a year, or before the holidays

In Central Florida, mold can start on fridge and dishwasher gaskets or the ice-maker drip pan within days instead of weeks. We tell homeowners from Lakeland to Winter Haven not to stretch these intervals in summer, when AC condensation adds even more moisture. A recurring clean keeps it on the calendar.