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Dish up a plan to dress your kitchen WITH the festival season round the corner, it’s time to get your house spick’n’ span and sparkling clean for all the visitors who’ll be thronging your place to greet you. Just like spring cleaning, festival cleaning too needs to be carried out in an organised manner so that you don’t get overworked at the last minute. The best thing is to plan it out room-wise and well in advance so that by the time the festival and puja days are you, the home is looking as good as new.
Since the kitchen is the hub of a house, more so during festival time with lots of goodies and mithais being prepared, you can tackle this area on a priority. While a soapy
solution and plenty of warm water can help in the basic cleaning of
the kitchen, certain areas need special treatment. Stubborn stains on
various surfaces require careful handling. Use cleaning agents for
these stains according to the surface: |
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Tiles: The best thing is to clean up a spill on tiles immediately. The longer it stays, the greater the chances of staining. The porous nature of grout means that most cleaning solutions pass through it without removing the stains. You can clean discoloured tile grouting with a toothbrush and a solution of household bleach However, do not use bleach on coloured grout as it will fade. Hard water deposits
on tiles around the kitchen sink can be cleaned by rubbing with
vinegar, leaving for a few minutes and rinsing off.
Stainless steel sinks: Many modern-day kitchens are fitted with stainless steel sinks. Though these don’t require much maintenance, a little care can keep them sparkling. Cleaning with a warm soapy solution regularly keeps stainless steel sinks shining. But in case water spots settle on them, rub with a little white vinegar or lemon slices and rinse off. Never use harsh abrasives or undissolved detergent. Gas burner: If you have a stainless steel burner with lots of food deposits on it, pour some boiling water over it. Let it stay for a while as it will loosen the food particles. You can use a tooothbrush to reach small nooks and corners. Then clean it the way you would clean other stainless steel surfaces. Sunmica cabinets and shelves: Wipe them regularly with wet cloth to prevent spills from settling. Use warm soapy solution to clean spills and general stains. In case of stubborn stains like grease marks, rub with lemon slices rubbed with a little salt. Rinse with warm water. Never use steelwool scrubbers as these can leave scratches. Wipe dry with a soft muslin cloth. Marble surfaces: Always clear up spills from marble kitchen sinks and work surfaces immediately. Wash with warm soapy solution, rinse thoroughly and dry immediately to prevent water spots. Never use vinegar, petrol or acids on marble surfaces as these cause damage. For general stains, like those of tea, hydrogen peroxide solution with a few drops of ammonia is suitable. Refrigerator: The cleaning of refrigerators has been dwelt on in detail in this column earlier. Basically, any stains on the exterior of a fridge can simply be cleaned with a warm detergent solution. The inside drawers, if they are removable, too can be cleaned with this solution and left to drip dry in the sun. The interior body of the refrigerator can be cleaned with a cloth moistened with bicarbonate of soda. Appliances and gadgets: Rub a little baking soda on a damp towel and rub your appliances, such as mixer-grinders, ovens, etc. Wipe off with a soft wet cloth. (Chetna Banerjee) |
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