Three Great Kitchen Cleaning Products You Already Have

Most of us would like to have more of at least two things: money and time. By using some common kitchen products wisely, you can have both.

Cooking spray

Using pan spray instead of oil when frying saves fat and calories, but it can also help with cleanup after a meal. Many people use the spray in frying pans. Oil can be difficult to completely wash off, so using spray speeds washing time. Spraying a casserole or other baking dish will also help cleanup-food doesn't stick. Any food residue in the dish is easily washed out. Don't worry about the food tasting or feeling greasy; there isn't enough spray to make that a problem.

This principle applies to barbeque grills, as well. Pan spray can help keep them clean, but it can also help with cleaning already grimy ones. Spray the grill and let it sit for a while. The spray will make removing the mess easier.

You can also spray plastic containers before putting tomato-based leftovers in them. A little spray helps prevent the tomato from staining the plastic, increasing their lifespan.

Aluminum foil

Aluminum foil can be used for much more than storing leftovers or covering meat as it bakes. It is sturdy enough to hold relatively large amounts of kitchen material and yet is flexible enough to be used in lots of different areas. It is one of the products every kitchen needs because of use as a liner. Before putting a pie or other messy dish in the oven, put the dish on a cookie sheet lined with foil. If the dish spills over, the mess is easily cleaned up by throwing the foil away at a minimum expense.

Regardless of how careful you are when using the oven, some food is bound to escape its container and end up on the bottom of the oven. Self-cleaning ovens are certainly popular these days, but they still need to be scraped out after a cleaning cycle. Lining the bottom of the oven with foil makes cleaning all kinds of ovens easier since the foil is simply pulled out and discarded. It takes a lot less time than scraping and scrubbing.

Baking soda

Every kitchen needs baking soda for baking. But baking soda is actually one of the most useful household products for other reasons. My mother's generation used baking soda to absorb odors, a use that has fallen out of popularity these days. This is one practice that shouldn't have gone by the wayside, though. Putting a box of baking soda in the refrigerator and freezer will help eliminate odors. You can create your own air freshener for anywhere in the house by putting some in a salt shaker or decorative container with holes. It can also be used in the kitchen sink. A little poured down with some cider vinegar will clear up odors quickly.

Baking soda can also absorb grease. Sprinkle a little on the area, and cleaning up a spill will be much faster and easier. A small grease fire can even be put out with baking soda.

Soda is also a mild abrasive. It can be used with a little water on all kinds of surfaces without scratching, such as ceramic-top stoves.

You don't need to put out the cash for several different expensive cleaning products and have them cluttering up your kitchen. Baking soda is incredibly cheap, and a little goes a long way.

Pennies count

While none of these tips will make you rich, saving a little money along with a little time can be incredibly helpful these days. A few minutes here and there, a few dollars here and there can add up to a lot when you are juggling job, family, activities. These kitchen products are multi-purpose alternative cleaners that are on hand whenever you need them.

References

"Arm & Hammer Multi-Brand." Armandhammer.com.