Keeping your kitchen clean is one of the most important aspects of a clean house. Unlike the rest of the house, germs hanging out in the kitchen won’t just be stepped on by you and your family - you can actually end up eating them. For the sake of your health, keep these kitchen cleaning tips in mind.

1. Grease is the enemy

Nobody wants to get grease into their system. As much as oil is essential in cooking, it does the body way too much harm for us to ignore its presence in the things we put in our mouths. Did you know that cooking actually releases tiny particles of grease into the air? They stick onto any surface in the kitchen and can promote the build up of germs and bacteria.

A range hood: it’s the answer to a grease-free kitchen. You should do a general cleaning of your kitchen at least once a month if you have a range hood installed. The hood should be cleaned at least twice a month, every other week. Just follow the instructions that came with the unit’s manual and you’ll do fine.

2. Wipe the grease down

Not everyone can afford to have a fancy range hood over their stoves. Sometimes a really big window beside the cooking area is good enough, but not all kitchens even have a window, big or small, especially if you live in a low-rent or solo apartment. When the going gets tough, you have no choice but to get your hands dirty.

Use a damp cloth soaked in a mixture of water and vinegar to wipe just about every inch of surface in the kitchen. Leave tiles or any other stone surface untouched. Vinegar is an effective cleaning agent, but it works the other way when it comes to stone surfaces. Instead, use warm water to dampen the cloth . Do this once or twice a month to make sure your kitchen is clean and grease-free.

3. I don’t like tiles because they’re a headache

Yes, they are. Stained floor tiles are definitely a sorespot. However, tiles are also one of the most popular floor type for kitchens and for good reason, too. Tile grout tends to dig deep into the spaces between the tiles, making it tough to dissolve even with the best cleaning agent on the market.

When dealing with tile grout, the prevention-is-better-than-cure theory applies. Wipe off stains as soon as they happen; don’t wait for spills to settle long enough for them to become permanent. The longer the stain isn’t wiped off, the harder it is to take out altogether. Use a combination of warm water and tile detergent for a stronger cleaning effect. Then, hope for the best.

4. The food stinks because the refrigerator stinks

Nothing is worse than a stinky refrigerator. It’s disgusting and downright embarrassing if you happen to have guests around. The truth is, though, the smell is naturally-occurring. It is caused by microscopic food particles that find themselves either lodged or stuck in some corner or wall of the fridge. Get some materials and start cleaning.

First, use a sponge soaked in foaming bath cleaner to wipe the walls of the fridge. This should eliminate most of the stains and dirt, but not the smell. Then, mix some vinegar and one or two tablespoons of baking soda into a bucket of water. Dampen a cloth with the solution and use it to wipe the walls again to take out the pungent odor.

Check for freon leaks if the smell lingers after cleaning.

5. Tang is for tangy

Dishwasher. Did you really think you could get away with not getting your dishwasher cleaned? Come on. You cook and eat food using those kitchen utensils and you’re going to wash them with a dirty dishwasher? All those dirt and old food particles inside the dishwasher will get stuck to the utensils and plates.

Just wipe the inside compartment with a damp cloth, which should take out most of what isn’t supposed to be there to begin with. Then fill one dispenser with dish soap and the other with Tang instant drink mix and let the dishwasher run with an empty compartment. This should deodorize the interiors of the dishwasher. We don’t know how the Tang, works but it does.

Use these tips, and your kitchen will look, smell, and even taste clean!