Living on my own, I didn’t realize how quickly things would get dirty. Cleaning at my parents’ house was a lot easier when someone else had already done most of the work. Thank you mom.

I love my apartment and having my own kitchen, but cleaning afterwards makes cooking much less enjoyable. Luckily, I’ve learned some pretty great tips to speed up the process. What’s life without a few good hacks anyway?

1. Stop scrubbing your pans.

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Photo by Bari Blanga

Boil water in your kitchen pans after cooking to avoid extra scrubbing. Adding dish soap is totally an option.

2. Don’t water down your iced coffee.

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Freeze hot coffee in ice trays for quick and easy iced coffee.

3. Stop smoking up your kitchen with oven spills.

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Photo By Bari Blanga

Sprinkle salt over food that drips and burns onto the oven floor in order to reduce smoke. Sprinkle cinnamon to reduce odor. The two will ease the pain of cleaning the spill later.

4. Deep clean your oven without having to buy new cleaning products.

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Pour drops of vanilla extract onto a kitchen rag and deodorize your oven by rubbing down its racks. Turn on the oven to release the fresh scent.

5. Remove melted plastic from your toaster or stove.

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Photo by Bari Blanga

By leaning over too much, I melted part of my vest on my stove. Use nail polish remover to rub off melted plastic from your toaster or stove. All appliances must be at a cool temperature while attempting this. Also, be sure to wipe it down with a bit of soapy water later to keep acetone out of your food!

6. Never wash your blender again.

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Photo by Bari Blanga

Deep clean your blender by blending drops of liquid soap and water together.

7. Remove tarnish with your favorite condiment.

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Photo by Bari Blanga

Use ketchup to remove tarnish, but munch on fries while you’re at it.

8. Save your sponges.

Photo by Kirby Barth

Keep your kitchen sponge clean by attaching a binder clip and letting it drain.

 

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