How to Clean: 

• Cloths and potholders: Launder dishcloths and potholders on the hot cycle in the washer and dryer to destroy harmful bacteria.
   
• Kitchen sink and disposal: Wash and disinfect the kitchen sink once or twice a week with either a disinfectant cleaner or a mixture of 1 tablespoon regular, unscented household bleach per 1 gallon of water. Sanitize drains and disposals monthly by pouring 1 tablespoon bleach in 1 quart of water down the drain. Wash sink strainers weekly.
   
• Sponges: Kitchen sponges can contain harmful bacteria and carry viruses; however, there are safe, effective ways to clean:
  • Bleach soak: use ¾ cup of regular, unscented household bleach for every 1 gallon of water, and soak sponges for 5 minutes. Rinse thoroughly. Let air dry before using. 
  • Dishwasher: ideally, the dishwasher should reach 155°F and include a heated dry cycle.
  • Microwave: wet the sponge, and microwave it for 2 minutes. Heating a dry sponge can cause a fire, so make sure the sponge is completely wet. Let air dry before using. Do not microwave metallic padded kitchen sponges. If planning to reuse, run them through the dishwasher
     
• Coffeemakers: Follow manufacturer instructions.
  • General recommendations:
    • Decalcify the machine by adding 4 cups of vinegar to the reservoir, letting it stand for 30 minutes, then running it through the unit.
    • Follow up by running two to three cycles of fresh water. Clean every 40 to 80 cycles, or once a month.
       
• Microwave: Follow manufacturer instructions. Do not use oven cleaner, steel wool, or abrasive cleaners in a microwave.
  • To remove caked-on food, heat one of these options in the microwave, in a microwave-safe dish, until the mixture boils:
    •  6 tablespoons baking soda with 1 cup water
    • ½ cup lemon juice with 1 cup water
  • Leave the mixture in the microwave with the door closed until it cools. Remove mixture and wipe microwave with a cloth or paper towel.
     
• Oven; Before cleaning an oven, make sure it is cool and no pots or pans are inside. Follow manufacturer instructions. Oven cleaners made for a cold oven are more potent than those made for a hot oven. Pay close attention to the recommendations on cleaners.
  • Do not use oven cleaners on self-cleaning ovens as this may damage the oven’s surface.
  • Another method for cleaning an oven is placing ½ cup of household ammonia in a bowl and putting it in a cool, closed oven overnight or for at least 4 hours. After 4 hours, remove and wash racks in warm soapy water to remove burned-on food.
  • Wash the oven walls and doors with a mixture of ½ cup ammonia and 1-quart warm water. Wipe down the oven walls and doors. Finally, wash the oven walls and doors one last time with warm, soapy water, rinse, and wipe dry.
     
• Coffeemakers: Follow manufacturer instructions.
  • General recommendations:
    • Decalcify the machine by adding 4 cups of vinegar to the reservoir, letting it stand for 30 minutes, then running it through the unit.
    • Follow up by running two to three cycles of fresh water. Clean every 40 to 80 cycles, or once a month.

Find more information about how to properly clean and sanitize the kitchen with our helpful tip sheet. 

Removing Odors from your Dishwasher

Follow specific manufacturer instructions. Below are suggestions from the *Whirlpool® & Kenmore® appliance companies for removing odors from a dishwasher using vinegar and baking soda:

• Clean the filter at the bottom of the dishwasher for food, debris, glass, or other obstructions.
• Pour 2 cups of white vinegar into a glass measuring cup and place it upright on the dishwasher’s lower rack. Do not add detergent. Run a normal cycle with heated dry off.
• After the cycle is complete, sprinkle 1 cup baking soda in the dishwasher and run again on a hot water cycle.

Learn how to remove odors from the refrigerator in our commonly asked refrigerator questions here. 

*University of Illinois provides this information as a courtesy and does not endorse any company, products, or services over another.

Make your own sanitizer 

If you are out of disinfecting cleaner or cannot find it at the store, make it at home. Use this bleach sanitizer to disinfect surfaces such as tables, counters, floors, doorknobs, toilets, showers, faucets, and sinks. Read our free tip sheet on making your own sanitizer

Supplies

• 1 quart (or 4 cups) cool water  
• 4 teaspoons unscented, regular bleach 
• A small bucket or spray bottle 
• Masking tape 
• Ink pen 
• Cleaning rag or towel 
• Rubber cleaning gloves 

Instructions 

• Place bucket or spray bottle on a flat surface.  
• Add water to bucket or spray bottle. Carefully pour bleach into the container. (Consider using a funnel with the spray bottle to safely get water and bleach in.) 
• Use the masking tape and ink pen, label bucket or spray bottle to read “sanitizer” or another similar word.  

Using Sanitizer 

• Clean all surfaces that need sanitizing soapy water BEFORE using sanitizer on that surface. (Food particles, soiled or sticky surfaces, and other contamination can deactivate the bleach in your sanitizer.) 
• Put on rubber cleaning gloves. (The gloves protect your hands, since bleach is irritating to skin.) 
• Add sanitizer to surfaces using a cleaning cloth dipped into the bucket or by spraying onto the surface with the spray bottle.  
• Allow sanitizer to air dry. 

Safety Tips 

• Make your sanitizer with cool water. Hot water will deactivate the bleach in your sanitizing solution. 
• Follow the manufacturer’s safety instructions when working with bleach. 
• Never mix bleach with ammonia. 
• Make a new bleach sanitizer each day.  
• Keep small children and pets away from sanitized surfaces until the surfaces are dry. 

References

• Center for Disease Control and Prevention