Keeping your kitchen clean can sometimes feel like an uphill struggle. Every kitchen appliance, surface and item is prone to dirtiness, and each requires a special type of attention. So we’ve compiled a top ten list of kitchen cleaning tips to help you break down the work into specific, manageable tasks:

1. Drains have a tendency to accumulate grease and grime, which can make them both sluggish and smelly. A good way to remedy this, in lieu of using a commercial drain opener, is as follows: first, pour ½ cup baking soda down the drain, followed by ½ cup white vinegar. Cover the drain, give the mixture a few minutes to foam, and then add 8 cups of boiling water, to flush the mixture out of the drain.

2. Cooking (and especially frying) fish can also stench up the kitchen. All you need to do is simmer a mixture of orange peels, cloves and water for approximately 10 minutes, after you finish cooking, to cancel out the fish odors.

3. It’s easy to think that washing food is always a good idea, but there are certain foods that should never be washed. For example, washing chicken can actually increase the potential spread of salmonella bacteria in the kitchen, as stray splashes of water could infect kitchen surfaces. Keep this in mind when preparing your chicken.

4. Household pets also run the risk of contaminating kitchen work surfaces, as they can tread bacteria. Make sure your pets do not walk on these surfaces.

5. If your oven is not self-cleaning, a good way to fix it up is to first scrape up large spills, then spray the inside of the oven with cleaner, and finally close the oven and let the cleaner sit overnight. This will give the cleaner sufficient time to work.

6. It is a good idea to clean your coffee maker every few weeks. You can do so by filling the water reservoir with equal parts water and white vinegar, and then running the machine’s brew cycle. Once completed, refill the reservoir with fresh water and repeat the cycle. Repeat the cycle with fresh water two more times to thoroughly rinse the machine.

7. It is increasingly common to find stainless steel-fronted appliances in kitchens, which are initially very attractive but which have a habit of getting very greasy. You can get the grease off, however, using microfibre cloths.

8. Your kitchen sink faucet can develop lime and mineral deposits, but wrapping vinegar-soaked paper towels around them for about an hour will dissolve the minerals. After soaking, clean and buff the chrome with a dry paper towel.

9. To clean up nasty microwave messes, insert a shallow dish, filled with lemon slices and hot water. Microwave the dish for on high for two to three minutes and voila – the steam will have softened up the messy food, and the lemon will have left your microwave smelling fresh.

10. If you’re cleaning your blender or food processor, simply squirt a couple drops of liquid soap into it, then fill it about halfway with warm water. Next, cover the blender and turn it on – the mixture should dissolve the mess. Make sure to rinse the blender afterwards, and repeat this process if the mess fails to clear up.