If you love to cook, there is nothing better than the smell of a good dinner or a freshly baked pastry. When guests come over, you love to hear “wow, your house smells splendid!” and you pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

What you don’t want when company comes over the next day is to be met with scrunched faces, pinched noses, and “oh my goodness, what is that smell?”.

That smell, dear culinaire extraordinaire, is the remnants of splatters from your lovely dinner in the nooks and crannies of your kitchen.

 

Here are some ways to detox those hidden areas in your kitchen before you are overwhelmed with odor.

 

1. Dispose of The Gunk 

Your garbage disposal flaps are a hot spot for grimy slime build-up. Make sure your disposal is OFF first and then flip those bad boys over. Use a toothbrush and hot, soapy water to scrub, scrub, scrub. You can follow up by cleaning the disposal with a few ice cubes, a handful of salt, and hot water. When you’re finished throw that gross toothbrush away or label it, place it in a ziplock, and keep it with your cleaning supplies.

 

2. Creeping in the Crevices

You may think that the brown around your faucets and sink is just the color of the lining, but sike, it’s a bunch of built up dirt and grime. It’s only where you wash your face and get your drinking water from so no big deal. No worries though, all you need is some vinegar, water, and a toothbrush. Spray the vinegar/water solution, scrub the grime with the brush, and wipe away with a paper towel.

 

3. Stove Knobs and Grimesticks

Odor from your stove knobs is pesky because it hides out of sight, but not out of your nose range. Once you unscrew your knobs, you will find the lovely ring of grimy gunk where the odor is residing. Toss your knobs in a bucket of hot, soapy water or into the dishwasher. Using a damp cloth, take a deep breath, and start wiping away the gross gunk. You can use a small amount of dish soap to help eliminate any lingering odor. Once the knobs are clean, pop them back on and your smell is as good as gone.

4. Clean the Cleaners

One would think that cleaning machines would be void of dirt build up, but even they can fall prey to kitchen gunk. Your dishwasher can actually be the source of a lot of your odor.  A rag with hot, soapy water and some elbow grease on the inside of the door and the gasket should do the trick to avoid build-up.

5. Drip Pan Danger

Betcha didn’t know that there was a drip pan for water and food spillage under your fridge, huh? Well, now you know so now you get to clean it, yay! First thing, you need to find it. Then you can spray the pan with a solution of 1 teaspoon hydrogen peroxide in 1 cup of water. Wipe it down with a rag soaked in white vinegar and voila. Be sure to check the floor where the pan was to make sure it is clean as well.

6. High Flying Dust Bunnies

Having tall, near ceiling high cabinets is great for all the bonus storage space, but they also can be more of a pain to clean. Over time dust build-up traps bad odors in your kitchen. You also may find a dead bug or two up there. YUCK! So save your time and your stomach, by lining the top of your cabinets with paper towels to match the cabinets width. Once a year, switch out the paper towels. You could even put a few drops of essential oil with water in a spray bottle and lightly spritz the paper towels for added freshness!