Make kitchen cleaning simpler with these hacks! 

The kitchen can be the one place where cleaning gets trickier. The stains are tougher, the grease can be thicker, and not to mention those unpleasant smells! Well, say “goodbye” to hours of elbow grease with the help of some lemons, household staples, and a few kitchen cleaning hacks we wish we knew sooner.  

Clear up stained Tupperware 

Ever had a plastic container that was never the same after you put leftovers in it? Often, we’re scrubbing away and those red-orange stains simply won’t budge. This hack is so simple, we couldn’t believe we hadn’t thought of it sooner. Simply rub some butter or margarine inside the container, then add a few drops of dish soap, and place a wet paper towel inside the container. Close the lid and shake it around vigorously. You’ll have a brand-new-looking container in no time! 

@jordan_the_stallion8 #stitch with @adikempler #fypシ ♬ original sound – Jordan_The_Stallion8

Save smelly bins with essential oils 

Has your bin started to produce an unpleasant smell that seems to fill up the whole kitchen? A quick solve to avoid having to take out the bin five times a week is simply soaking a cotton ball with lavender, eucalyptus, or peppermint oil. Place this cotton ball into the base of your trash bin (between the bag and the bin itself) and save yourself the stench!  

Clean greasy walls with lemon 

We’ve all been there, cooking up a storm, and then suddenly found our backsplash or wall covered in speckles and splashes. These can be tough to clean if you don’t wipe them away at once, leaving you wiping oily streaks all over the place. A great hack is adding pure lemon juice to a spray bottle and spritzing it on your walls. Leave the lemon juice on to work its magic for a few minutes – the acidity of the lemon is perfect for cutting through the oily spots. Then wipe away the grease with a dry cloth for a grease-free wall! 

Vinegar can descale your kettle 

No need to buy several different products to get rid of that build-up at the bottom of your kettle – all you need is white vinegar! Simply fill your kettle halfway with the vinegar and the rest of the way with cold water, boil and pour it out. Then refill with just water for a second boil to rinse out any remaining vinegar. Your kettle will look shiny once again! 

@carolina.mccauley Easy way to clean a kettle #cleaningtip #cleaninghacks #cleaninghack #homehackswithcarolina ♬ Own Brand Freestyle – FelixThe1st & Dreya Mac

Get rid of grime and smells in the microwave 

It’s time to quit stalling a microwave deep-clean! Simply place the juice of one lemon, some dish soap, vinegar, and water in a bowl, pop it in the microwave for 5 minutes and let the steam loosen up all the grime. Then, wipe it down with a cloth and you’ll have a fresh-smelling and clean microwave in no time.  

@yun_aturkana How to clean a Microwave. Updated video with an audio. #microwavecleaning #cleaninghacks #cleaningmotivation #foryou #fyp #yunaturkana ♬ original sound – Yun Aturkana

Fridge smells can be neutralised with lemon peels  

Don’t throw away those lemon peels! If your fridge has a bit of an unpleasant odour, it can easily be neutralised by cutting up your lemon peels, popping them into an open container, and placing them in the fridge. This natural deodoriser is a way to minimise waste while will keeping those bad smells at bay.  

@diaryofakitchenlover Does your fridge have funny odour that make you sooo angry you wanna throw the whole fridge and burn it down and never want see it again? Try this natural deodorizer and you will fall in love with your fridge and almost want to live inside Did you find this helpful? #fridgedeodorizer #fridgeorganization #fridgetips #kitchentips #nigeriankitchen #nigerianfood ♬ original sound – Diaryofakitchenlover

Photography: Pexels

The post Kitchen-cleaning hacks you wish you knew sooner   appeared first on MyKitchen.

Not only do you get a nutritious fill with these yummy fish parcels with baby marrow, but you can cook the full meal in the microwave and have dinner ready in 15 minutes!

SERVES 2 // COOKING TIME 15 min

INGREDIENTS
250 g hake
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Olive oil, to drizzle
Handful origanum
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ cup flaked almonds, toasted
6 baby marrows, halved
1 tsp red wine vinegar
Handful basil, roughly chopped

METHOD
1. Cut a 20 × 10 cm heart shape from a piece of baking paper. Place the hake in the middle. Drizzle with lemon juice and oil, then sprinkle with origanum and garlic powder. Season.
2. Fold in the edges of the baking paper to make a parcel. Microwave on medium-high heat for 10 minutes.
3. Carefully open the parcel. Sprinkle flaked almonds and lemon zest over the hake.
4. Toss the baby marrows in oil and microwave for 5 minutes. Drizzle with the vinegar and garnish with basil.

Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Samantha Pinto

The post Fish parcels with baby marrow appeared first on MyKitchen.

As a standard household appliance, the microwave is magical. Many aren’t quite sure how it works, but we use it for so many things aside from just heating up leftovers. Microwaves can defrost frozen foods, cook popcorn, bacon, eggs, and also keep your meals protected and warm when you leave them in there. Honestly, they are life-savers! But how do they work and are all the health myths true?

By Taryn Wilson

All microwaves typically have a generator called a ‘magnetron’ which, when heating food, uses electricity to create radio waves that are pushed into the section where your food is. Your food will spin on a turntable while this happens so that it can cook evenly.

The radio waves are also known as ‘micro-waves’, hence the name for this handy machine! Imagine light beams bouncing around inside a small room, that’s pretty much what these waves are doing, except they’re invisible and are passing through your food, generating heat by forcing the food particles to vibrate rapidly. Essentially, energy is just being transferred to your food.

Despite how amazing the microwave can be though, there are a few concerns about how healthy it is to be using one. Have a look at some of the myths and facts surrounding this appliance:

THE MYTHS

1. Microwaving your food will kill all the nutrients

While certain nutrients such as vitamin C and omega-3 fats are sensitive to heat and can be lost, any form of heating can do this. Veggie nutrients can also be leaked into the water when cooking, so the microwave may actually be a better option if you don’t use water!

2. Food is cooked all the way through in microwaves

While you can cook many delicious things in the microwave, it’s best to stick to more traditional cooking tools for meats and other foods that need to be cooked all the way through as the micro-waves go through a limited amount of the food.

3. Microwaves give you cancer

Despite the fact that microwaves produce a small concentration of RF radiation, it is kept inside the actual unit and cannot cause cancer.

THE TRUTH

1. You need to be careful with plastic

Refrain from using plastic tupperware and dishes in the microwave as they break down while your food is cooking, causing the chemicals to leak into your food. Make glass or ceramic containers your new best friends!

2. They are energy-efficient

Not only are they handy, but microwaves are more environmentally-friendly. Using one to heat your food can save up to 80% of the energy an oven uses.

3. Microwaves are safe.

Continue to use these magnificent machines (if you have one) because they are not harmful to you or your food. Just always ensure that your food is cooked through and you place only microwave-safe materials inside.

Check out this amazing recipe you can make in the microwave!

Fish parcels with baby marrow

SERVES 2 // COOKING TIME 5 min

INGREDIENTS
250 g hake
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Olive oil, to drizzle
Handful origanum
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ cup flaked almonds, toasted
6 baby marrows, halved
1 tsp red-wine vinegar
Handful basil, roughly chopped

METHOD
1. Cut a 20 × 10 cm heart shape from a piece of baking paper. Place the hake in the middle. Drizzle with lemon juice and oil, and sprinkle with origanum and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Fold in the edges of the baking paper to make a parcel. Microwave on medium-high heat for 10 minutes.
3. Carefully open the parcel. Sprinkle flaked almonds and lemon zest over the hake.
4. Toss the baby marrows in oil and microwave for 5 minutes. Drizzle with the vinegar and garnish with basil.

The post Microwave myth busting! Plus a delicious micro meal for dinner appeared first on MyKitchen.