How often and how can I clean under my stove and fridge

When practicing good housekeeping, it is important to cover all your bases, know each and every inch of the space your are cleaning and what cleaning agents can be used where. While those simple rules are important to adhere to they simply aren't enough to know how to reach difficult areas and have them reach the level of cleanliness as the rest of your home, and no spots hide more dirt and grime than the underside of heavy and hard-to-move kitchen appliances, namely your stove and refrigerator. Below you'll find steps that are applicable to both appliances so you can achieve a maximum clean in your home.

Step 1:

Carefully remove your appliance away from the wall or nook it is settled into. This will make following steps much easier to complete.

Step 2:

Turn off power. When cleaning any electrical appliance, your first concern should always be reducing potential harm to yourself or damaging the unit. Before moving on any further, remove any cords connected to electrical outlets. If your refrigerator has an ice maker or water dispenser, cut off the water supply, or you are using a gas stove, cut off the respective supply lines.

Step 3:

Remove your grate and/or drawer. Most refrigerators come with a easy-to-remove grate that snaps off at its ends, giving you a clear view to its base. On many stoves, the equivalent would be a compartment beneath the oven, where heat coils are placed for cooking.

Step 4:

You'll instantly notice that these hidden part of either appliance is a magnet for dust and grime. An accumulation of either can affect performance and energy costs to operate. Though you can brush and feather away with some success, vacuuming the dust is your best way to clear away all loose particles.

Step 5:

Using a coil brush, or any other number of long-neck brushes, you can clean the coils of your refrigerator with a water-based cleaning agent. The same can be done for the base of your stove as well.

Step 6:

Take the opportunity to wipe down the sides and back of either appliance with a cloth and cleaning agent and rinse off with warm to hot water.

Step 7:

Clean the floor all around where you appliances are and where they will be once your kitchen is reorganized. Vinegar and warm water works well on grimy surfaces that may result from cleaning either a stove or refrigerator.

Step 8:

Once the floor has dried, reconnect power, gas and/or water, and place the appliances back where they belong.