Your kitchen is one of the most energy-consuming rooms in the whole house, so it's important to take the right steps to reduce costs in any way you can.
We're often encouraged to do things like switching appliances off at the plug when they're not being used, but there are certain things you can't do this with - like the fridge.
It turns out that keeping your appliances clean could also help you save money on energy bills and increase their lifespan and efficiency.
That's according to experts at End of Tenancy London, who have revealed some of the most popular searches on TikTok when it comes to cleaning different appliances - and affordable ways to go about it.
Because fridges have to remain switched on all the time, it won't come as a shock to know that they consume a great deal of energy.
But it also means that by cleaning it properly, you could reduce a fair amount of energy and maintenance bills - and you can do this in two simple steps.
Ivan Ivanov from the cleaning company explained that you can clean the fridge's coil as well as giving it a good wipe down inside to keep it in good working condition.
He said: "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."
Baking soda costs just 65p from Asda and cleaning the coil is free, making it a useful yet affordable hack.
Here are Ivan's tips for cleaning some other popular kitchen appliances that could save you money on energy bills.
Air fryer
A dirty air fryer will take longer to heat up, therefore using more energy - so keeping it clean is vital.
To do this, Ivan said: "Using a soft sponge and some standard household soap, remove the tray from the air fryer (once cooled) and use your finger to gently scrub all available areas.
"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 coating on the inside of the airfryer tray."
Kettle
Kettles can get full of limescale over time, meaning more energy is used when boiling the water, but it's easily removed if you use white vinegar.
For the best results, Ivan says to do the following: "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."
Oven
Cleaning the oven is nobody's favourite task, but doing so will help the heat to distribute more effectively, making it more energy efficient.
According to Ivan, you can actually clean it by hoovering up any pieces of food or dirt before giving it a scrub.
And cleaning the oven racks in the bath will provide you with more space than trying to do it awkwardly in the sink - but be sure to use a hair catcher to stop any grime from going down the plug.
Sink
Taking care of your taps and drains is vital to keep your hot water coming and to eliminate odours.
For the best results, 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."
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