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

Clean as you go is definitely the best tip. It is working well for my kitchen overall but too late for my oven door

Vinegar is great for getting a shine, even if it does stink a bit!

Another one who cleans as they go. It stresses me out if there is too much washing up or things to clean. My oven is disgraceful though, I need to get some of those Oven Pride things. I keep meaning to ....

I found that when I needed to grate oranges or lemons for cakes the zest always stuck on to the grater in fact I probably lost half of the zest. Just like a light going on in my head I thought that a nail brush would work, it worked brilliantly, job done!

I use a steam cleaner, lifts dried on dirt easily and makes floor cleaning quick and easy.

Lemon juice is a godsend all through the kitchen.
Microwave for 30 secs to loosen food mess, and make it smell gorgeous!
Use in the oven AFTER you have cooked and turned the oven off...the heat will take on the smell of the lemon beautifully!
Leave half a lemon in the fridge for 24hrs to banish bad odours.
Finally leave half a lemon in the kitchen overnight, shut the door, and come down in the morning to a fresh-smelling kitchen without any chemicals in sight!

My tips are -

When using spray cleaners leave them to work for a while before wiping away. Much less effort.

For stubborn stains soak a cloth in hot water and leave it on top of the stain.

Chop a lemon in quarters and put in a bowl with some water. Microwave on high until boiling. This makes cleaning your microwave easy as the steam lifts off the grime.

Get the best tools for the job to make it easier on yourself. Tidy and clean as you go and try to keep your kitchen as clutter free as possible, all these things help when you're giving your kitchen a deep clean.

Clean as you cook, keep on top of everything by putting utensils back or in the dishwasher, putting ingredients away etc. Wipe the hob while it is still warm. But my main tip is to clean and tidy when you're on the phone....I hardly notice I'm doing it when I'm chatting...and then it is usually all sparkling when I put the phone down!

My tips:-)

A cup of lemon juice left overnight in the bottom of the dishwasher once in a while will get rid of the limescale/crud buildup in the filter so no bits of food left on dishes.

Nothing beats old-fashioned ciff for a sparkling sink.

e-cloth and e-mop for work-surfaces and the floor, no chemicals needed.

I clean as I go wiping spills and messes with a warm soapy cloth. The kitchen gets a deeper clean once a week and a full clean including oven and fridge once a month. I prefer natural products - ecover if I'm feeling flush or fresh lemon juice/vinegar/bicarbonate of soda work just as well as cleaning products and cost pennies.

A bit of dilute bleach on a toothbrush and some elbow grease is great for getting rid of stains on white grout. I will definitely be using dark grout if i get my kitchen/bathroom retiled! Life is too short :)!

Leftover lemon halves after squeezing out the juice- Pop into an empty dishwasher and run on a hot wash for a squeaky clean anti grease cleaning without having to buy expensive dishwasher cleaning products

Any leftover boiling water from potatoes, carrots etc, use to swill down soda crystals down the sink; if you do this regularly ie, everytime you have excess boiling water, it'll keep your pipes always clean and clear

Have a cleaner - sorry she does all the hard work and my kitchen is always spotless every week

When you are on the phone, walk round with a baby wipe or similar, it's surprising how many dirty marks you can remove from doors, switches, walls etc, without any effort at all!

I like to clean as I go along. I use flash spray and use 1 bottle per week, weekends I clean the oven and microwave and kitchen units. hob is done every day.

Share your kitchen!
I always wipe round the sink and clean the floor, my bf always wipes the cooker down, and my housemate always tidies the fridge up. Between us the kitchen is pretty clean. (Whereas my bf's kitchen floor is in want of a mop, and the limescale round my housemates previous sink was shocking, and my cooker used to be, ahem , neglected!)

Get a dp or dh who's slightly obsessive about cleaning and never have to worry about cleaning your kitchen again!

My top tip is to have a telly with a built in DVD player on the kitchen wall. Even the most grim oven/floor cleaning job is a lot easier if you're working your way through your old Buffy boxsets (this is also my top ironing tip).

Baby wipes! They're great on stainless steel. I use them on my bin, sink, draining board and microwave. The wipes really make them shine.

I use a toothbrush to clean around taps, plug holes & awkward places. White vinegar with a spot of washing up liquid in hot water cleans & disinfects surfaces, & floor tiles. Always clean as I go which takes minutes instead of leaving & then taking hours!

Magic erasers! For everything! Well certainly the sink and the glass of the oven. They truly are magic!

The quickest way to clean a microwave oven is to place a handful of wet paper towels inside and run it on High for 3-5 minutes. The steam from the towels will soften the grime. Once the paper towels cool down, use them to wipe the oven's interior.

My kitchen is not a health hazard but it'll never look like a show home. Two years ago we got a dishwasher and I love it! It's labour saving and a great place to hide the dishes.

babywipes are great for a quick wipe on everything..but amazing on stainless steel.

clean as you go is the way to go! Also don't leave stuff lying about on surfaces - less stuff means less to move when wiping. I used to do the oven with oven pride every 6 months but then realised it's much easier to just give it a quick clean when washing up every day, that way there can't be any build up of anything!

(I also try to avoid letting DH cook spag bol as he seems to use every pot, plus the blender, every utensil and leaves sauce on every surface - that's not really a tip as probably specific to me though :) )

Buff your drainer and other shiny surfaces with the tea towel when you are about to put it in the wash.

Clean spatters and spills before they bake on.

Only buy dishwasher safe kitchen items, not just utensils, crockery etc but also the parts of appliances, the racks, organisers, storage canisters, just everything. And bung in washer regularly.