Preparing your home for the festive season gives the house a bright new feel. Painting walls and clearing clutter are good first steps, but your everyday appliances carry the biggest burden during the holidays. When you bake sweets or wash loads of party laundry, a clean appliance keeps everything running smoothly. Well, we have curated a guide that may help in step‑by‑step deep cleaning for some of the most essential household appliances with kitchen items you already have.
Deep‑clean the refrigerator with baking soda Clear and Sort: First unplug the fridge. Clear every shelf. Toss out condiments, old pastes and forgotten leftovers. Wipe with Soda: First mix two tablespoons of baking soda into a bowl of water. Then dip a microfiber cloth into this solution and wipe down the inner walls, vegetable trays and glass racks. Target the Seals: Take a toothbrush dip it in the same soda solution and use it to clear dust or sticky residue that is trapped inside the rubber door gaskets. Baking soda naturally neutralises food smells and does not leave harsh chemical scents that can stick to uncooked food. Refresh the microwave using lemon steam Prepare the Bowl: Fill a microwave‑safe bowl with one cup of water then squeeze the juice of one lemon into it. Drop the lemon halves into the water. Steam It Out: Heat the bowl on power for three to five minutes until the water boils and the glass door fogs up with steam. Rest and Wipe: Keep the door closed for another five minutes so the acidic steam can soften baked‑on grease. Then remove the bowl carefully. Wipe the interior walls and turntable with a dry towel. Degrease the kitchen chimney and gas stove
Clear Burner Ports: Clear the brass burner holes with a safety pin or thin wire so that gas flows evenly and the flame remains a blue. Soak Chimney Filters: detach the baffle or mesh filters from your kitchen chimney. Next submerge them in a bucket of boiling water that contains a squirt of dishwashing liquid and half a cup of washing soda or vinegar. Let the filters soak for twenty to thirty minutes. Scrub the Stove: While the filters soak spray a mixture of water and liquid detergent, over the gas stove top. Then use a non‑abrasive sponge to lift dried curry drips and oil rings. Descale and sanitize the washing machine With lots of silk sarees, thick curtains and everyday festival clothes piling up your washing machine works hard during the holidays. Hard water deposits and leftover detergent can make clothes smell bad. Run a Vinegar Cycle: Pour two cups of distilled vinegar directly into the drum or liquid detergent dispenser. Run a cycle on the highest temperature setting to break down limescale deposits and soap scum. Clean the Trap: Open the drain filter access panel drain any leftover water into a tray and wash out lint or debris trapped inside the filter under running tap water. Aerate the Drum: Wipe down the rubber door seal to prevent mold growth and leave the door open for an hour so the drum dries completely. De-odorize the dishwasher with vinegar and baking soda If you depend on a dishwasher to handle stacks of serving bowls and dinner plates during family gatherings, getting it ready beforehand saves time later. Clear the Filter: Twist out the drain filter rinse away trapped food scraps under warm water and put it back in place. Dissolve Built-Up Grease: Place a glass bowl filled with one cup of vinegar on the top rack of an empty machine. Run a hot water cycle to dissolve grease and mineral buildup. Polish and Deodorize: Sprinkle half a cup of baking soda across the tub floor and run a short hot rinse. This gets rid of smells and leaves the stainless steel interior clean. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test Get the latest Lifestyle News and more. Download the TOI app.