Martha Stewart's Kitchen Secrets: 15 Creative Tricks to Make Cleaning a Cinch

A chef’s kitchen is the site of countless culinary triumphs -- and even more clutter-filled cleanups. Thwart chaos in the kitchen with Martha's 15 most creative cleanup tips from "Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook."
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Create a Consolidated Cleaning Caddy

Learn How to Spring-Clean the Kitchen

In lieu of crowding a cupboard with haphazardly strewn cleaning agents, build a cleaning caddy to house your essential items. Martha's recommended cleaning caddy components include paper towels, microfiber cloths, a toothbrush, scouring pads in white and green nylon, stainless steel, copper, and aluminum polish, soft white cloths, kitchen brushes, a selection of fresh and old sponges, mild dishwashing soap, all-purpose household cleaner, mild abrasive cleaner, baking soda, white vinegar, glass cleaner, and gloves. 

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Corral Clutter with Cups

Stylized small containers can creatively corral loose odds and ends. Make cleanliness a creative endeavor by dividing your minute kitchen items into charming cups or saucers for each drawer. The result is aesthetically pleasing and promotes a pristine kitchen.

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Give Dirty Dishware a Salty Scrub

If the remnants of your latest culinary masterpiece are stubbornly clinging to your cookery, rub down the pot or pan with a dry sponge and salt for a spot-free surface. 

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Use a Baking Soda Boil for Patchy Pots

Find Out What's in Martha's Kitchen Cleaning Kit

Baked-on food need not be the bane of your existence. Boil ¼ cup baking soda with several cups of water, and allow the pot to sit for an hour, then remove spots of food with a nonabrasive cooking utensil. 

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Pop a Cork for Cleaner Knives

Diane Fields

Dip a clean wine cork in mild dishwashing liquid to gently buff away knife stains. Alternatively, use a cocktail of lemon juice and coarse salt to treat the stain. 

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Keep Wooden Kitchen Tools Mildew-Free with Bleach

Water can warp wood and cause mildew. Instead of soaking wooden kitchen tools in water, dampen a cloth with a solution composed of ten parts water and one part chlorine bleach to thoroughly cleanse wooden implements. 

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Refresh Your Garbage Disposal with an Aromatic Cocktail

Learn More About Garbage Disposal Care

An abundance of food particles left to linger in your garbage disposal can make for an unappetizing aroma. Give the garbage disposal a fragrant, deodorizing treatment with ground citrus peels or vinegar ice cubes. 

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