The Aluminum Foil Product You Need For Easy Kitchen Cleaning

Cleaning your kitchen regularly keeps the space hygienic and reduces your risk of exposure to things like bacteria and pests. But while it might be simple enough to wipe down your countertops and give your sink a quick scrub, other tasks are more high-maintenance and are reserved for deep cleaning days. These tasks take up a lot more time and energy, which is why most people avoid them until absolutely necessary. Such a chore is getting the crumbs and gunk out of the crevices where your appliances meet your countertops. These can be notoriously difficult to clean since the gaps are so thin, making it tricky to remove the fallen food and solidified grease in them. Luckily, aluminum tape can help you remove this chore from your to-do list entirely by covering up those crevices. 

Aluminum tape is exactly what it sounds like: It's a roll of tape made from aluminum foil. It's typically used in construction and home repair as a way to seal duct seams and joints, but it can also be used to repair gutters, insulate pipes exposed to the cold, or cover gaps in drafty windows. Because it has so many versatile uses, it can also be used as a heat-resistant and waterproof cover for countertop gaps, stopping crumbs and food debris from falling in. Here's how.

To use foil tape in the kitchen, take a quick look at your countertops and see where there are annoying gaps or seams. Is food constantly falling into the gap between your stove and counter? Are you constantly using a toothpick to get crumbs out of the outline of your sink? Or is there a big gap between your countertop and the wall, but your landlord doesn't want to come by and caulk it? This is where you will use the tape. 

You can get a roll off of Amazon for as low as $4.50, so it's a budget-friendly upgrade to your kitchen. To apply it, simply measure the length you need, cut off a strip with scissors, and adhere it to the surface. Use a cloth to smooth it down, allowing it to hug any contours of the appliance. To ensure the adhesive binds properly to the surface, rub it back and forth a few times, paying particular attention to the edges so they don't eventually lift. Once applied, you can simply wipe away any crumbs, grease splatters, or spills that fall onto the tape rather than trying to scrub them out of the small border crevices.

Since aluminum tape is waterproof and heat-resistant, it's safe to use near your sink and stove. The adhesive won't dissolve after repeated contact with water, and the aluminum backing will also repel rather than soak in water droplets. This makes it great to add near your sink. The tape is also heat-resistant, but if you're nervous about putting it around your stove, then you can take extra precautions and get a high-temperature aluminum tape. This particular product is designed to withstand higher temps, allowing you to feel confident having it near an induction top or open flame.

For example, Uline's 3M 431 High Temp Aluminum Foil Tape is specifically designed to withstand temps between -65°F to 300°F, making it the perfect caulking tape to adhere around the stove. The downside is that you have to pay more for that peace of mind: a single roll costs $81. However, Uline's regular Aluminum Foil Tape can withstand temps from -10°F to 180°F and costs $27. Since you're not putting the adhesive directly on the stove or burner — but rather sticking it on the border that joins the countertop — the latter should be sufficient.