If you’re selling your home in DC Ranch, your real estate agent will most likely talk to you about cleaning, decluttering and staging – all essential tasks you need to tackle to give buyers the best possible impression of your home. But to make things easier on you, we’ve compiled a list of five simple kitchen cleaning secrets you should know (and use) before you list your home for sale.
5 Kitchen Cleaning Secrets You Need to Know Before You List Your Home for Sale in DC Ranch
Check out these five simple kitchen cleaning secrets:
- Keep lemons in the fridge to clean your garbage disposal
- Put vinegar in your dishwasher to get rid of calcium build-up
- Soak your range hood filter in boiling water with baking soda
- Soak your faucet head in vinegar to remove calcium build-up
- Polish your stainless steel sink with flour
Here’s a closer look at each.
Kitchen Cleaning Secret #1: Keep Lemons in the Fridge to Clean Your Garbage Disposal
When it comes to cleaning your garbage disposal, one of the best things you can do is keep a lemon (or two) in the fridge. Why? Lemons are great for freshening up your garbage disposal and getting rid of any bad odors. Plus, they’re natural disinfectants. Before prospective buyers show up for a home tour, cut a lemon in half and put it directly into your garbage disposal. Then, turn it on (with lots of cold water running) and let the disposal do its work on the lemon. The fruit will clean the blades and create a great, ultra-fresh smell that fills up the area.
Related: 3 exterior home improvements you may want to make if you’re selling your home
Kitchen Cleaning Secret #2: Put Vinegar in Your Dishwasher to Get Rid of Calcium Build-up
Because you live in Arizona, there’s a good chance that calcium and other minerals have built up on your dishwasher over time. It doesn’t look attractive – but even worse, it can affect the dishwasher’s performance. To clean and descale your dishwasher, fill a measuring cup with vinegar and place it on the upper rack of your dishwasher. Then, run the dishwasher (on empty) on the hottest cycle. The vinegar will help break down any calcium deposits and leave your dishwasher sparkling clean. If the build-up is pretty significant, you may need to run it twice (with vinegar both times).
Kitchen Cleaning Secret #3: Soak Your Range Hood Filter in Boiling Water with Baking Soda
Your range hood works hard to remove smoke, grease and other airborne contaminants from your kitchen – but over time, the filter can become clogged with all that gunk. To clean your range hood filter, soak it in a sink or large pot filled with boiling water and baking soda. The baking soda will act as a natural degreaser, breaking down any grease and grime that’s built up on the filter. Let the filter soak for at least 30 minutes (longer if it’s really dirty), then rinse it off with hot water.
Related: 5 tips to make your small closets look bigger to help sell your home
Kitchen Cleaning Secret #4: Soak Your Faucet Head in Vinegar to Remove Calcium Build-up
Like your dishwasher, your kitchen faucet is also susceptible to calcium build-up – especially in Arizona. Over time, this build-up can cause your faucet to become less effective (and less attractive). To clean your faucet head, remove it from the faucet and soak it in a bowl of vinegar for a few hours. The vinegar will help break down the calcium build-up and make your faucet look shiny and new again. Here’s an alternative (and it works for shower heads, too): Fill a plastic bag with vinegar and use a rubber band to attach it to your faucet. Let it soak there for a few hours, then remove the bag and run clean, hot water through it for several minutes.
Kitchen Cleaning Secret #5: Polish Your Stainless Steel Sink with Flour
If you have a stainless steel sink, you know how difficult it can be to keep it clean and shiny. Water spots, fingerprints and other marks can quickly make it look dull. But there’s an easy way to polish your stainless steel sink and make it look like new again – all you need is some flour. Simply sprinkle a little flour onto a damp cloth and rub it into the sink in a circular motion. The flour will help remove any water spots or fingerprints and leave your sink looking shiny and new.
Related: 7 bathroom improvements that may help you sell your home
After you’ve used these five kitchen cleaning secrets to get your kitchen in tip-top shape, it will be ready for showings – and prospective buyers will be impressed with how clean and well-maintained it is.
Are You Selling a Home in DC Ranch?
Thinking about selling your home in DC Ranch? Call us at 602-694-3200 to find out how we’ll market it to all the right buyers. If you’re also looking for a new home, we’d love show you any listing in the community. Let us know what you’re looking for and we’ll be happy to search for something that’s a perfect match for your needs.
While you’re here, check out our:
- Country Club Village homes for sale
- Desert Camp Village homes for sale
- Desert Parks Village homes for sale
- Silverleaf Village homes for sale
Don Matheson
Realtor | Founder
The Matheson Team
RE/MAX Fine Properties
21020 N. Pima Rd., #100, Scottsdale, AZ 85255
602-694-3200
