Latest news with #cleaningHacks
CNET
12-05-2025
- General
- CNET
Surprising Ways to Use Your Oven's Hidden Space Below
The extra space under the oven is one of those quietly understood, socially accepted rules for storing big pots and pans that don't have a space in other cabinets. But what is the true purpose of that space below your oven? Did the designer really consider our storage needs, or was the creation for something greater? If you're left curious about what that drawer under your oven is really used for, read on to learn more about the type of drawer you may have in your kitchen. It may be the secret cooking option you can use for your next meal. Read More: Clever Cleaning Hacks for the Hardest-to-Reach Crevices in Your Kitchen How to clean your oven with baking soda and vinegar How to clean your oven with baking soda and vinegar Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:31 / Duration 1:29 Loaded : 99.24% 0:31 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:58 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. How to clean your oven with baking soda and vinegar 3 functions of your oven's bottom drawer Warming drawer A warming drawer is easy to identify. Take a look at the buttons on your oven. If one of them is labeled "Warming Drawer" then that's exactly what you have. Anytime you need to warm a pie or a loaf of bread -- or you just want to keep dishes warm while the rest of the meal finishes cooking -- pop it into the warming drawer and push the warming button. Broiler Broiler drawers are typically found on gas ovens and are very narrow. Chris Monroe/CNET If you have an oven heated with natural gas, the drawer is typically a broiler. To be sure, pull open the door. If it looks more like a retractable pan than a drawer, then it's a broiler. Think of the broiler as an extra cooking area. It's best for toasting or browning foods like casseroles or breads. Any item placed in the broiler will burn quickly, though, so check on it every couple of minutes. Storage drawer A storage drawer is usually much deeper than a warming drawer or broiler. Chris Monroe/CNET If there isn't a warming button and the area looks like a deep, empty drawer, then you probably have a storage drawer. As per a recent Reddit discussion, many people are unsure about what to keep in this space. This is a good place to store cast iron pots and pans, because the warmth from your oven will help keep them rust free. Just be sure not to store plastic items in this drawer, because they may become warped due to residual heat. Likewise, some older ovens have little insulation and may heat your metal cookware when the oven is on. As a precaution, always use oven mitts to remove cookware during or after your oven has been in use.
CNET
11-05-2025
- General
- CNET
Tired of Dropping Crumbs Between the Stove and Counter? Do This
Keeping your kitchen clean is a regular chore, and there's one spot that always seems to collect grime no matter how careful you are. That narrow gap between your stove and counter is basically a magnet for crumbs, grease splatter and everything else you don't want piling up. And since it's tough to reach without pulling out the stove, most people just leave it, which means that mess keeps building up. It might not seem like a big deal, but letting food debris sit in that hidden space can attract bugs or even rodents. Luckily, there's a simple hack that'll keep that gap clean without making you drag the stove away from the wall. It only takes a minute and makes a huge difference in keeping your kitchen fresh, especially during the warmer months when pests are more active. The good news? We did the digging for you. Here's how to figure out exactly what your oven drawer is actually meant to do and how to make the most of it. Read more: Clever Cleaning Hacks for the Hardest-to-Reach Crevices in Your Kitchen How to clean your oven with baking soda and vinegar How to clean your oven with baking soda and vinegar Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:01 / Duration 1:29 Loaded : 33.50% 0:01 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 1:28 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. How to clean your oven with baking soda and vinegar 3 functions of your oven's bottom drawer Warming drawer A warming drawer is easy to identify. Take a look at the buttons on your oven. If one of them is labeled "Warming Drawer" then that's exactly what you have. Anytime you need to warm a pie or a loaf of bread -- or you just want to keep dishes warm while the rest of the meal finishes cooking -- pop it into the warming drawer and push the warming button. Broiler Broiler drawers are typically found on gas ovens and are very narrow. Chris Monroe/CNET If you have an oven heated with natural gas, the drawer is typically a broiler. To be sure, pull open the door. If it looks more like a retractable pan than a drawer, then it's a broiler. Think of the broiler as an extra cooking area. It's best for toasting or browning foods like casseroles or breads. Any item placed in the broiler will burn quickly, though, so check on it every couple of minutes. Storage drawer A storage drawer is usually much deeper than a warming drawer or broiler. Chris Monroe/CNET If there isn't a warming button and the area looks like a deep, empty drawer, then you probably have a storage drawer. As per a recent Reddit discussion, many people are unsure about what to keep in this space. This is a good place to store cast iron pots and pans, because the warmth from your oven will help keep them rust free. Just be sure not to store plastic items in this drawer, because they may become warped due to residual heat. Likewise, some older ovens have little insulation and may heat your metal cookware when the oven is on. As a precaution, always use oven mitts to remove cookware during or after your oven has been in use.
The Sun
09-05-2025
- General
- The Sun
I tried 4 ways to get my paving clean without a pressure washer – one was a mess and stank but a 65p buy worked wonders
NOW the sun has finally come out to shine, it is time for me to try and sort my front garden out. While many people rely on a pressure washer to get their paving looking fresh, I don't have the space for that sort of equipment. 11 11 11 So I did what any millennial does when they need a question answered and took to TikTok to see how others get their patio clean without one. With over a billion searches for patio cleaning on the app, there were plenty of solutions to try out. But there were four that kept coming back around - washing up liquid, bleach, baking soda and vinegar, all used with a firm brush and a little water. It was only right that I gave each of them a go to see which one really stood up to the challenge before doing my entire patio. My paving stones haven't been cleaned in years, it's definitely much darker than it should be and has moss growing on it. I used a firm brush from Ikea and used one product on a single paving slab to get an accurate result and see which one really worked. Washing Up Liquid It seems there's nothing washing up liquid can't do, from washing the dishes (duh), to removing stains in clothes to cleaning your patio. 11 The great thing about this hack is that we all have a bottle of washing up liquid ready to go and it's relatively inexpensive at 69p a bottle from Tesco, so I was hoping this hack would be the one. I used a little warm water and the brush to scrub the soap in and left it for twenty minutes before rinsing it off. However, I found that while it did work in some spots, it didn't do much overall to get rid of stuck on dirt. Instead of using this for a deep clean, I imagine this would work wonders for a quick spot clean before guests come over for an al fresco dinner. Rating 3/5 Baking Soda I quickly went to the baking cupboard to find the baking soda and got to work. 11 I mixed around a quarter of the tub with water to form a paste and scrubbed it over the damp patio slab. While a tub of the baking essential costs just 59p from Sainsbury's, with how much you need I think this could get pricey if you were doing your entire patio. I left it to soak for another twenty minutes before washing it off and yet again I was disappointed with the results. Some spots on the concrete slab did lighten up, but not enough to make a difference. Rating 3/5 How to clean your garden soft furnishings CLEANING your outdoor furniture and furnishings is a relatively easy task, and requires household items already in your cupboards. Here's what you'll need, according to gardening expert Daniela Venturini from Wayfair... What you'll need include: A soft bristle brush A bucket of warm water Mild laundry detergent or washing up liquid White vinegar A clean damp microfibre cloth A clean dry towel Clear your furniture of excess debris Before cleaning your outdoor furniture ensure that the surfaces are free from excess debris and dirt from your garden, and remove any outdoor cushion covers where possible, as this will make the cleaning process much easier. Wash down furniture with warm soapy water In a bucket of warm water, add a few drops of mild laundry detergent or washing up liquid to create your cleaning solution. For any tougher stains, such as harsh water stains or mildew, apply undiluted white vinegar to any stains and let it sit for about an hour in the sun. 3. Use a soft bristle brush to rub away stains Using a soft bristle brush, gently rub your cleaning solution onto your garden furniture in small circular movements. After scrubbing, take a clean damp microfibre cloth and ensure that all detergent and soap suds are removed from your garden furniture. After cleaning, take a clean towel and absorb the majority of moisture off your garden furniture and then simply leave in the sun to dry. Vinegar Thanks to social media, I always have a bottle of white vinegar under the sink to clean mirrors, washing machines and keep towels fluffy. 11 So, when I saw a hack to use it on patios, I figured it would probably do something considering how versatile it is. I chucked some water on the patio before dousing it in vinegar, which you can buy for £1.09 in Asda, and scrubbing it in before letting it marinate. Unfortunately, this hack was the worst of the bunch. Not only did it do literally nothing to clean up the grime, it absolutely stank. Rating 0/5 Bleach With all other hacks failing it was time to bring out the big guns and get the bottle of bleach out. I poured a little onto the slab and added some cold water before scrubbing it in and letting it set for twenty minutes like the rest of the hacks. I could tell this was the winner as the bleach solution turned a murky brown instantly. I rinsed it off and the patio slab it was applied to looked much lighter than the rest and was able to get up a lot more grime. The best part is that you can buy the bleach from Wilkos for 55p, and I reckon it could do the whole patio in one go making it a cost-effective solution that really works. Rating 5/5 11
