The kitchen is where the action is at in any home which means that you should do some serious cleaning here every few months. Everyone goes through the kitchen so you can imagine how much dirt, dust, and germs everyone in the family is tracking in and out. But the usual cleaners such as bleach and chemical cleaning agents can be dangerous to your health which is why it is always a good idea to look for non-toxic cleaning methods as much as possible. How can you clean your kitchen safely? Here are a few steps to try.

Homemade fridge disinfectant

Your fridge will need some TLC since it is constantly exposed to different types of food, spills, and smells. When cleaning your fridge, remove all the contents and parts then scrub the interior carefully. If there are sticky spots that are just too stubborn to remove, you can make your own fridge disinfectant by combining 2 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of dish soap, a cup of vinegar, and orange essential oil. Soak a clean washcloth in this disinfectant and leave it for a few minutes before using it to wipe off those stubborn stains.

Kitchen floor cleaner

Like it was mentioned before, the kitchen is subjected to constant traffic so you will have to put extra effort into cleaning your kitchen floors. Fortunately, you can get this done by mixing 1 part white vinegar and 1 part hot water. The ascetic nature of vinegar can eliminate the germs that get left behind on your floor tiles. If you have wooden floors, you should combine ¾ cup of olive oil and half a cup of lemon juice into a gallon of water. You can scrub your floors with it to remove the dirt while disinfecting it in the process.

Steaming microwave

We often wipe down our microwave after use, but did you know that you can clean it by steam? As a matter of fact, you only need lemons to get it done. What you need is to get a microwave safe bowl, fill it with about ¾ water then place 5 to 10 lemon slices into the bowl. You can squeeze some into the water too. Now turn the microwave on for about 5 minutes and let the steam build up a while. Wipe the interior of the microwave after.

All-purpose spray

What about the surfaces in the kitchen? All that you need is a regular washcloth and your own all-purpose spray which you can use to scrub your appliances, walls, countertops, sink, and even your tables. To make this spray, you will need a cup of white vinegar, 5 drops of your choice of essential oils, and 2 cups of water. Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle and shake it before using.

Squeaky clean dishwasher

Your dishwasher may be doing all the cleaning in your kitchen but you also need to clean it from time to time. After all, food debris, dirt, grease, and whatnot can accumulate on the insides of your dishwasher which can be completely gross when you don’t remove them. Start by emptying the dishwasher then place a dishwasher-safe bowl that contains white vinegar on the top rack. Run it through one cycle. Afterwards, sprinkle some baking soda on the bottom of the dishwasher tub and run using short cycle.

As you can see, you don’t really have to use all those dangerous cleaning materials in your kitchen as it may lead to food poisoning since you are using the area for cooking. These cleaning methods are safer and can still yield impressive results.