Your kitchen has two enemies the first is grease and the other bacteria. Before deciding to get the excess grease off your kitchen, move all the small appliances off the counter to ensure the bacteria won't flourish underneath the toaster, oven or mixer.

If you want a more in-depth clean but only have about half-hour to spare then you will also be able to give your floor a quick clean without the use of a dirty mop and bucket. Simply spray the floor with either a floor or multi-purpose cleaner and wipe it over with a floor cloth. Then spray your kitchen applianes with some kind of disinfectant and wipe them drip with a clean micro-fibre cloth.

If you devote more time, say an hour, then start by wiping your cabinet doors using good old soap and water. Wipe the cabinet fronts from top to bottom. If the kitchen cabinets happen to be made from wood, try using a wood cleanser for a finishing touch.

If you have more than an hour to spare, you can deep clean the appliances. To add freshness to the interiors of the refrigerator, clean it using 3 tablespoons of baking soda with 3 cups of warm water. Wipe the insides of the oven with an all purpose cleanser. With the aid of a plastic scraper get bits of food off the racks. Remove bits of food or crumbs from inside cabinets with a vacuum attachment or a damp cloth.

If the appliances are made of stainless steel wash them with soapy water and use a nonabrasive sponge. Dry with a kitchen towel. If you want to you may smear a layer of -steel polish complying to the package instructions. Then simply wipe off any excess straight away. Get a dry towel and buff the polish on top of the surface. Stop when the surface becomes shiny and the towel comes out dry.

Here are some more handy and practical cleaning tips for the home:

To remove wax from candle holders, place them in the freezer for an hour or so, the wax will simply slide off the holders.

If your drinking glasses are cloudy, soak them in warm water mixed with vinegar for an hour, then wipe with a nylon sponge.

If your mattress has a nasty smell, dab the area with cold water then using borax sprinkle on top of the water. Get a cloth and vigorously rub the borax into the mattress. Brush of the remaining powder.

Do you hate scraping wallpaper off walls? Why not try using equal parts of water/vinegar and soak the paper. Repeat this again with another bucket of water/vinegar. The paper should now peel away from the walls all by itself.

Smelly garbage bins? Put slices of lemon inside. This helps get rid of bad smells.

While washing delicate cloths in a washing machine place them inside pillow covers and run the machine on a gentle cycle.

For removing crayon marks on the walls, rub a small amount of tooth paste onto them and rub off with a clean cloth.

Streaky mirror? A cheap way to clean these is to use an old cloth soaked in warm water. Clean the mirror then dry and buff up with a crumpled-up newspaper.

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Author Toni Chainbridge is the proud owner of the House Cleaning Tips blog. Visit Toni's blog and learn further Housekeeping Cleaning tips and ideas.