We now have a nice new kitchen. In fact, although I haven’t blogged about his in ages, we have about 98% of a nice new house, only about a year and a half behind schedule. This means there is less daily angst, but there is more to clean. An article with the enticing title of How to Speed-Clean Your Kitchen thus seems very enticing.
Alas, step one reads like this:
1. Fill sink to the rim with very hot water; add one cup regular bleach. Soak for one hour.
2. Drain and rinse thoroughly.
3. Scrub with Ajax, Bon Ami, or baking soda.
4. Be sure to rinse thoroughly.
5. Shine with Windex or another glass-cleaning spray. Dry thoroughly.
Now I’m sure this is fine advice but anything that takes an hour and then requires several more steps is not my idea of speed cleaning.
You are starting with a new house and if you make it a point to clean up as you go along you should never have to be afraid of your sink. Forget the shiny sink foolishness, it’s for people trying to overcome years of slobdom as the Fly Lady web site makes clear.
Depending on what your sink is made of, the instructions can be unnecessary or damaging so ignore them. For instance, if you have a white Americast sink and use Ajax on it, you will find out real quick why you shouldn’t have.
ej
I have about 75% of a new kitchen and it’s only about a month behind schedule. I would fire the expensive contractor, but he is me. My new sink is big enough to bathe in. If I ever want to use it as an operating room, I might want to cleanse it with prejudice (but not really because I would probably be in a hurry), but otherwise, I will skip the bleach and use Bon Ami, or Soft Scrub. When I want it to look good, I’ll use Sheila Shine — my sink is stainless steel.
I’ve actually enjoyed this whole process (and my wife still seems to love me), but I am sympathetic.
The Real Simple article doesn’t make it clear that the hour-long bleach soak and Ajax scrubbing is supposed to be Day One. Making your sink soooooper clean first means you only have to do quickie wipedowns every morning after that.
The FlyLady site is kinda twelve-steppy and ugly, though.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t Windex an ammonia-based cleaner? Should it really be used as a chaser to a sinkful of bleach?
These instructions look as deadly as they do impractical…
I tend to be the one that cleans up after everyone, so I am not ashamed to say I use as many short cuts as possible. I buy store brand kitchen cleaners with bleach and use it liberally with a paper towel to clean surfaces, including my stainless steel sink.
I use amonia based cleaners to clean about the stovetop and range hood. Bleach won’t cut grease, amonia will. I’m begining to remember that my grandmother and mother didn’t consider the “dishes” being done unless they were washed and dried and put away and the cooking surfaces appliances and counter tops were washed/wiped down and the floors swept. If you take the 10 minutes extra to do that when tidying up after each meal the kitchen will magically stay clean all by itself (once the routine become rote that is…)