Share your kitchen cleaning tips, tricks and secrets with Currys for a chance to win an oven, hob AND dishwasher (worth c.£1300)! NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

The good people at Currys have asked us to find out your top tips and tricks for making the oh-so-glamorous task of cleaning the kitchen a little bit quicker, easier and more straightforward.

Here's what Currys say: "We have a great range of new pyrolytic ovens in stock which are by far the easiest and most effective way to clean your oven, as pyrolytic cleaning heats the cavity to very high temperatures at the touch of a button, sealing the door and reducing all food residue to ash that can be easily wiped away. We'd love to know your own cheeky shortcuts to a clean and sparkling kitchen - do share them here!"

So what are your kitchen cleaning hacks? Do you have a secret method for getting rid of limescale? Are you a whiz with a tub of bicarbonate of soda? Have you worked out how to get the grime off your own oven without losing the will to live?

Everyone who adds their comment to this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win ALL OF THE BELOW!

a) a - Currys exclusive - Znussi Built in pyro oven - worth £400! and
b) a Znussi induction hob - worth £400!
c) AND an AEG 13 place integrated dishwasher - worth £488!

Please note comments may be used by MN and Currys on social media, on the Currys pages on MN or possibly elsewhere - please only add your comment if you're happy for it to be used like this! Closing date: 17 November.

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

[meerschweinchen]

Definitely clean as you go. And I too find that using a toothbrush is great for nooks and cranies. I also love my microfibre cloth.

[InAndOfMyself]

Clean as you go! I do this and the kitchen is quite tidy by the time I serve the meal, my husband, on the other hand, doesn't and cleaning up afterwards is laborious. Cleaning as you go is faster and easier than cleaning after the fact.

[WarmHugs]

Microwave a couple of wet paper towels for a couple of minutes. The steam will loosen the grime, and when the paper towels are cool enough, just wipe around the microwave!

[ataraxia]

Generally clean as we go with the surfaces, including an bright a;ways u cloth for the surfaces as seperate from the sponge for the dishes. I'm afraid the oven's a bit of a lost cause, one of those tiny 'toy' oven/grills as landlord didn't want to replace our worn out one. Could be worse, she 'kindly' gave us a second-hand freezer filled with soil too. That was certainly an interesting cleaning situation!

[Lindsaym1983]

I clean as I go and use anti bac cleaning wipes on everything to try and keep on top of things . Then once a week I do a proper clean of my kitchen cleaning benches, cupboards, oven , floor etc with kitchen cleaner and bleach.
Until recently I used the excuse I was pregnant to get out of it so my partner had to do it but his cleaning skills are rather rubbish

[ngonizashe]

Sugar soap! Not many people know of, or use sugar soap anymore but it is fantastic at cleaning off grime and tough burnt on marks in seconds!

[Mulligrubs]

I get my other half to do it...he is way better at cleaning than me!

[bunchoffives]

My top tip is to do a deep clean every so often, say once a month or two. In between just give everything a quick wipe down to keep on top of it all.

For ovens, a dish of water in the bottom that creates steam when you cook helps to stop spills sticking - but you still have to remember to wipe it up when the oven has cooled down enough and not wander away with a glass of wine in your hand

[MakeTeaNotWar]

Clean as you go. Use as few pots, pans & plates as you can get away with. Instil good habits into children and husbands so that they pick up after themselves, rinse their own plates & put them in the dishwasher. De clutter

[Girlwhowearsglasses]

Don't buy a house where an idiot has put black fake marble bathroom wall tiles on the floor which are permanently smeared, show everything, and require rubber non slip mats everywhere to avoid trips to A&E

[TickleMyTitsTillFriday]

Don't let it get too bad is my tip! We moved into a rental property where this clearly hadn't been done and it was literally impossible to get clean. So:

Wipe down the cupboards daily, or even better make it one of your children's daily chores ;)

Use your extractor fan!

Don't let it get too cluttered. It just means there are more things to get greasy and then clean.

Bowl of water with lemon in it is fabulous for making the fridge smell cleaner.

lastly, get a cleaner! [wank]

[TickleMyTitsTillFriday]

Oh bloody hell I mean wink, wink!

[TheregoesBod]

Cleaning bores me, so the more hints and shortcuts the better. I find lining the bottom of the oven with a sheet of tin foil helps - I can just throw and replace without the scrubbing.

Those disposable cleaning wipes left out on the kitchen top (in a non conspicuous place)- when I'm on the phone or have a spare moment I can just whip round wiping a few things so it never really builds up.

[NotCitrus]

I can't scrub so in between the cleaner's visits I try to make as little mess as possible - upturned plates over bowls in the microwave and lids on pans to prevent spatter.

[MadMonkeys]

Clean as you go... except the oven, have an oven cleaning man once a year

[Ragglefrock]

I don't have a dishwasher so all by hand. My top tip is to stack any dirty crockery close to the sink in as neat and efficient way as possible so that it doesn't seem to spread over the entire room - it's a psychological trick to make it feel easier! Then turn on the radio and keep at it!

[Cherryjellybean]

Lime scale, it's best to keep on top of, regular scrubbing works here.
Just cleaning regularly helps stop the build up dirt in our kitchen.
The oven... Lots of cleaning products!!!
I guess I have no hacks as such... Just do it regularly!

[mumsbe]

The best cleaning tip I was given by my mum was clean the oven when its still warm (the rings on top) use washing up liquid no water at first and a sponge then rinse with water and polish with a old tea towel
Tips from my nana passed to me clean the fridge with vinegar so the chemicals from usual sprays dont pollute the food and to get your cups clean use sterident tablets (for cleaning false teeth) just pop them inwith some water and the tea stains are gone. Same for your tea pot.
Use a toothbrush and washing up liquid to get into the hard to reach parts of ovens taps microwaves.
Hoover inside your dryer under where the lint gathers to keep your dryer extra clean.

[sc00ter]

My one wonder in the kitchen is White Distilled Vinegar.
I use it all over my kitchen.

I use it to clean anything really;
love it because it not only cleans it disinfects too.

My favourite use is to get rid of limescale buildup in the kettle - all you do is fill your kettle with cold water, tip in about a cup of (white) vinegar and leave OVER NIGHT.
Then when you get up rinse out a few times and your ready to go.

Also I use it to Wipe over the Tiles, hob, fridge (inside and out), surfaces, chopping boards etc: Put some neat vinegar on a cloth and wipe, this also disinfects.

One last plus its only pennies for a large bottle in most supermarkets.

[Babieseverywhere]

I use my Karcher Window Vac to clean my kitchen cupboard doors and appliance doors...keeps them streak free without using lots of chemicals.

[sama1303]

I clean as I go too with a pack of anti bacterial wipes! Oy takes a few mins each day and saves precious time so I can spend it with my family :)

[theressomethingaboutmarie]

Bicarb and vinegar are the answer!

To take the smell out of a washing machine, mix a cup of vinegar with a couple of teaspoons of bicarb. Put the machine on a wash cycle and then pour the vinegar/bicarb mix into the drawer when the water starts to go into the machine.

Put a little pot of bicarb in your fridge to keep it smelling fresh.

Put a 50/50 mix of vinegar to water in a sponge with a handle thingy to keep your shower screen clear and limescale free.

Put a jug of water with some lemon in the microwave and put it on for about 2 mins or so. Any marks in the microwave will wipe off easily and it will smell lovely.

[marymouse]

Damp cloth on stainless steel and then buff with baby oil. Sparkling everytime! x

[Tunna]

Your oven is like the centrepiece of your kitchen so I try to get the nicest one possible as it gives you more incentive to keep it clean and sparkling!

My tips are magic sponges to get the general grease and grime off the surfaces, then a drop of baby oil on a kitchen roll to buff up the stainless steel which gets rid off any water marks and keeps it looking pristine.

[devafever]

Candlewax on tablecloths or similar - remove what you can, cover with a couple of paper kitchen towels and go over with a warm iron.

Similarly, solidified fat in grill pans - heat up gently on the hob, pour out what you can, wipe with a kitchen towel and then wash as normal