Ruach’s Spring Cleaning Checklist
February 8, 2021
Here at Ruach Kitchens, we’re really excited that spring is just a few weeks away and we’re hoping this means we can look forward to spending some time with our friends and loved ones soon. But in the meantime, why not get ahead and start your spring cleaning now so that you’re free to enjoy the pleasant weather and hopefully newfound freedom when the time comes. To give you the satisfaction of knowing you haven’t missed a thing and to share with you some of our tips on how to care for your Ruach products, we’ve put together this handy step-by-step spring cleaning kitchen checklist.
Do A Quick Stock Take
Before you really get into cleaning mode, ease yourself in gently by doing a quick stock take. Clear your supplies out of your cupboards and refrigerator and have a look at the dates, is there anything you won’t eat in time that can go to the food bank? Doing this will leave your cupboards or drawers free for you to give them a quick wipe down with some warm water and a soft cloth before replacing your ingredients with the newest items at the back. Clean out your fridge and wash shelves and produce drawers in the sink before drying and returning. Doing this first means that any mess left on your countertops by leaky bags of flour or sticky treacle tins can be wiped off a little later on in your cleaning mission.
Clear The Decks
Knife blocks, toasters, kettles, bread bins, utensil jars and general collections of Tupperware often tend to make our worktops their home, and when we’re rushing to clean up after cooking a meal, it’s more than tempting to just quickly wipe around these worktop residents. When you’re giving your kitchen a proper spring clean, be sure to clear your worksurfaces so you can thoroughly wipe them down and check behind them for any splashes on your walls or tiles. Warm soapy water should do the trick, but for stains, you’ll find white vinegar works wonders on laminate, and we recommend using a cream cleanser on our Dekton and Quartz surfaces. You can find more detailed instructions on caring for your Ruach worktop in our kitchen Care & Maintenance Guide.
Appliances
This is where the hard work really begins. No one loves scrubbing ovens, but unfortunately, every once in a while, it just has to be done. We’ve got some tips on how to make cleaning your appliances quicker and easier and we’ve also highlighted a few things you might just have thought you could get away with avoiding!
Ovens
These days many ovens come with self-cleaning functions, which include either pyrolytic, catalytic or steam cleaning technology. Ovens that use catalytic cleaning are internally coated with a chemical residue that absorbs grease and burns it off at 200 degrees. These ovens will still need some cleaning with a chemical product. With steam-cleaning ovens, the clue’s in the name, a steaming program simply softens grease and dirt so you can wipe it away more easily following more or less your normal cleaning routine. Pyrolytic ovens are the most effective and the most expensive. They burn grease off at a temperature of 400 degrees, reducing it to a pile of ash that you can simply brush away. If you haven’t got one of these hi-tech ovens, unfortunately, you’ll just have to rely on good old elbow grease!
Microwave
To speed up cleaning your microwave place a bowl of water containing the juice of half a lemon in your microwave and run it on high for 5-10 minutes. This will loosen the grease and leave your microwave smelling fresh. Wipe off any residue using a cloth and a dash of white vinegar.
Dishwasher
This is one you might have thought you’d get away with! It’s actually very important to clean your dishwasher regularly as, after a while, food remnants and grease can build up internally leaving a nasty residue on your crockery. At Ruach, we like to follow Good Housekeeping’s tips for keeping your dishwasher spick and span. After initially wiping off any grime from around the edge of the door and giving your filter a rinse, you should run your dishwasher on a normal cycle using one cup of vinegar or a dishwasher cleaning tablet. This will remove any internal grease and keep your dishwasher functioning at its best.
Tips
Don’t forget to keep the condenser coils behind your fridge clean. Unplug your refrigerator and vacuum up any dust that’s built-up on the coils. To bring a stainless-steel finish up beautifully on your appliances, polish with a soft microfiber cloth following the grain.
The Final Once Over
Now the worst bit is over you just need to give your kitchen doors a quick wipe and take care of the sink area. With all our doors we recommend gently wiping them with a damp, but not wet cloth dipped in a weak solution of warm soapy water. Don’t use anything abrasive and make sure you dry the doors immediately. You can double check the exact care guides for your furniture by clicking here to read our Ruach Kitchens Care & Maintenance Guide.
If you’re looking for a great multipurpose cleaning product then cream cleansers are an effective product for cleaning most sinks. After wiping down your draining board give a bit of care to your taps. Gently clean them with a solution of warm water and white vinegar and they’ll look brand new. You can find more detailed advice on cleaning your specific sink in our Care & Maintenance Guide.
Now all you need to do is mop your floor and sit down to enjoy a nice cup of tea…or a large gin and tonic!