Clean these neglected kitchen areas

I thought my kitchen was spotless until my maid left and I had to clean the place myself.

That was when I discovered areas which had obviously been overlooked.

But I never noticed them before because they were areas that I never thought of cleaning.

It started when I had to look for a piece of crockery.

When it failed to turn up after a search of the typical places, I decided to look at the topmost shelves of my crockery cupboard.

To my horror, I discovered a thick layer of dust over the entire shelf and the items there.

It was so thick that it needed several hard wipes to remove the dirt.

It was a task that called for my store of small pieces of rags, which were cut from old clothes.

I soaked a few of them and used them to wipe the dust off. I threw the rags away after that.

All the crockery on the shelf also needed washing, a reminder that this was a task that I should tackle regularly, perhaps whenever the dishwasher is free.

Which brings me to the next neglected area: While we rely on the dishwasher to wash our dirty dishes, how many of us actually clean the machine itself?

Yet, you have to clean its insides, paying special attention to areas such as the rubber seal around the door and the top edge of the door, as well as washing the filter, which is usually found at the bottom of most machines.

And while you have a wet cloth in hand, wipe down the areas outside the kitchen cupboards - countertops, shelves, doors and drawers - that are closest to the cooking range.

While we regularly clean the cooking range, we tend to overlook these areas, which can accumulate a lot of dust and grease.

Likewise, the kitchen's light fixtures, including under-cabinet lighting, are also exposed to oil-laden cooking fumes and dust.

Again, a good wipe with a microfibre cloth and, perhaps, a paste made with baking soda and vinegar can get rid of such gunk - but first, you have to remember to clean the area.

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