This Household Staple May The Be The Secret To A Squeaky Clean Kitchen

No one likes cleaning the kitchen, but it's a very necessary chore. Your kitchen is one of the most used rooms in the house and as such, it accumulates a lot of dirt and bacteria. There's also the added risk of preparing and cooking food, which spreads even more bacteria throughout the room. As Wise Projects warns, a dirty kitchen can be a breeding ground for very serious illnesses and bacteria like E. coli and salmonella.

Aside from the health risks a dirty kitchen poses, you should also maintain your kitchen for aesthetic purposes. While its primary purpose is functional, your kitchen also has a lot of decorative appeal that can be muddled if it's covered in grease and dirt. That being said, cleaning your kitchen can be very labor-intensive. It may feel like a never-ending cycle and that you can never get it totally clean. This may be due to hidden and neglected spots in your kitchen, like your oven, cabinets, range hood, etc. Cleaning these can be particularly difficult, especially with lots of built-up dirt and grease. It doesn't have to be, though — odds are you have something in your cleaning arsenal that can instantly make your kitchen sparkle.

According to Hangers Cleaners, one of the easiest and quickest ways to clean your entire kitchen is with a simple garment or clothing steamer. Since the steam is so hot, it not only cleans your kitchen but can disinfect it and kill lingering bacteria. The best part is that this method doesn't require any chemicals or cleaning supplies — the steam does all the work.

As long as an item in your kitchen is safe to be exposed to high temperatures and moisture, it can be steam cleaned. Wooden utensils, for example, wouldn't be ideal, since the heat and moisture may compromise the integrity of the wood. Almost anything else is fair game, though. Your trash can, for example, can benefit from a thorough cleaning with your clothing steamer. Other items and areas of your kitchen that can benefit from a quick steam clean include your freezer, anything with hard water stains, bulky kitchen appliances, and even your curtains.

You can also do some more heavy-duty cleaning with a handheld clothing steamer in your kitchen. For example, The Cards We Drew recommends using a steamer to clean your cabinets. They also recommend adding a few drops of essential oil to leave behind a fresh scent. Just make sure your cabinets are sealed so the steam doesn't lead to mold, and lay down towels to prevent the steam from turning into puddles. Dry the cabinets immediately and consider adding a coat of wood polish so the steam doesn't dry them out.

You can also use a steamer to clean your range hood, per The Shabby Creek Cottage. Be sure to turn off your hood light and consider even turning off the breaker for extra safety. Other than that, simply run the steamer over the range hood, watching all the built-up grease and grime melt away.