If You've Got Time To Lean, You've Got Time To Clean!
With the kitchen being the most energy-consuming room in our homes, we have been taught to switch off unused appliances or only boil what you need in the kettle amid the cost of living crisis, but did you know that some simple cleaning hacks could help to cut your bills too?
To help you have a more energy-efficient and cleaner kitchen, cleaning experts from End of Tenancy Cleaning London have shared top tips on cleaning common kitchen items, along with viewing data of cleaning videos on Tiktok, where 55 BILLION views have been generated for the ‘CleanTok’ trend.
1. Cleaning Air Fryers
Tiktok #airfryercleaning views: 76.3 million
Cost: £0.58 - Soap, sponge
The sales of Air Fryers increased by 3000% last year amid the increasing energy bills. While cooking in air fryers saves energy, leaving them uncleaned may result in a longer time to heat up, thus more energy!
In response to this, Spokesperson Ivan Ivanov from End of Tenancy Cleaning shared top tips on how to clean your air fryers:
“It is important to clean your air fryer after every use to keep it energy efficient, high-performing and safe. If left uncleaned, grime and wasted food can become baked onto the tray, becoming more and more stuck on over time.
Using a soft sponge and some standard household soap, remove the tray from the air fryer (once cooled) and use your finger to scrub all available areas gently. If your finger is too large, or the mess is a bit too stuck on, use an old toothbrush instead! Whatever works best for you, provided you’re cleaning effectively but not pushing so hard as to remove any of the heat-proof coatings on the inside of the airfryer tray.”
2. Cleaning The Kettle
Tiktok #cleaningkettles views: 4.5 million
Cost: £0.29 - White vinegar
The internet has been teaching us lots of ways to save energy on kettles by the way we use them, such as only boiling the amount we need. Ivan suggested that cleaning kettles regularly also helps cut energy bills! However, it is reported that 11% of Brits have never cleaned their kettle. In response to this, Ivan suggested:
“If your kettle is full of limescale, you will need to use more energy to boil the same amount of water! You should be descaling your kettle every two months or less, especially if you are using hard water from your tap. Simply fill your kettle with half white vinegar and half water, then boil it. After pouring it out, repeat this step. You can also soak it overnight and wait for the limescale to come off. If you don’t have white vinegar, you can also use baking soda or even lemon juice instead.”
3. Cleaning Ovens
Tiktok #cleaningovens views: 240.4 million
Cost: £2.00 - Oven cleaner
Cleaning our oven may seem like hard work for many, regarding all burnt waste, grime, or leftover crumbs. However, it is still important to do so. A clean oven will not only keep your kitchen safer but also will distribute heat more effectively, making it more energy efficient!
Ivan has provided some simple hacks on how to clean your oven:
“If you don’t have an oven cleaner to hand, you can simply try cleaning it with your vacuum! This will get rid of any leftover charcoal bits and crumbs before scrubbing the dirt away. Cleaning the racks in the bath will allow you more space than awkwardly in the sink; however, be sure to use a bathtub hair catcher as otherwise large chunks of grime can clog up your drains.”
4. Cleaning Fridges
Tiktok #cleaningfridges views: 92.5 million
Cost: £1.60 - Baking soda
Since fridges and freezers need to stay on 24 hours a day, it’s no surprise that they use the most electricity among all kitchen appliances. However, this also means you could reduce a fair amount of energy and maintenance bills when getting it cleaned properly. Ivan shared the simple cleaning tips you could do to clean your fridge:
“Taking 15 minutes and cleaning your fridge’s coil will make a big difference to energy efficiency because too much dust there would require your fridge to work harder to get to food-safe temperature without releasing the heat properly. To do this, remove the panel at the back and use a vacuum to get rid of all the dust. To clean the interior of your fridge, we recommend simply using baking soda or white vinegar and warm water. Apply a soft cloth to rub the interior and rinse it afterwards. “
5. Cleaning The Kitchen Sink
Tiktok #kitchensinkcleaning views: 17.6 million
Cost: £2.81 soap, cloth, drain unblocker
While many people are turning to dishwashers, the sink is still commonly used for washing hands, vegetables, dishes and more. It is important to take care of your taps and drains to ensure warm water comes more efficiently and to keep your kitchen free from odour. Ivan
suggested:
“Because most household taps are metal, corrosion through extended usage can occur. Use warm soapy water and a soft microfibre cloth instead of a scouring pad as this will rub off more metal and cause your tap to rust. Gently wash the grime from the tap using the soft cloth, run the tap, and you should notice results within seconds.
“To clean drains, put a dishwasher tablet over the top of the plug and run boiling water so it dissolves. This should unblock some of the grime and leave it smelling fresh. If it doesn’t work for your situation, try using a store-bought drain unblocker to get rid of any excess grime.”
Methodology:
1. Utilising TikTok, the total number of views for the kitchen items was collated by searching #[item]cleaning.
2. Cost was estimated based on the price of each product sourced from Tesco.
3. Data was collected on 11/01/2023 and is correct as of then.