The Kitchen Cleaning Guide: What to Use on Every Surface (and What to Avoid)

Cleaning and disinfecting are two different jobs. Cleaning uses soap or detergent and water to physically remove grease, food, and dirt. Disinfecting or sanitizing uses heat or an approved chemical to kill germs on an already-clean surface, so you always clean first, then sanitize. The right product depends on the material, because what protects stainless steel can ruin stone, aluminum, or a nonstick pan.

Two rules before anything else. Never mix bleach with vinegar or any acid, and never mix bleach with ammonia. Both make toxic gas. When in doubt, use one product at a time, rinse, and open a window.

Use this as a reference. Find what you are cleaning, check what to use, and read the "careful" line so you do not wreck the surface. The full safety list is at the bottom.

Cutting boards and food safety

Raw meat, poultry, and eggs are where cleaning has to turn into sanitizing. Two things you cannot clean your way around: do not rinse raw meat or poultry, since it just splashes bacteria around your sink (USDA), and you cannot wash food safe, so cook it to a safe internal temperature. For wooden boards specifically, here is the full method: How to Actually Clean a Wooden Cutting Board.

• Sanitize any board or counter after raw meat, poultry, seafood, or egg
  Use: Clean with hot soapy water first, then flood with the USDA FSIS solution: 1 tablespoon unscented liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water (about 200 ppm). Let it stand a few minutes, rinse with clear potable water, and air-dry. Mix fresh each time.
  Careful: Never skip the cleaning step, since sanitizer fails on a dirty surface. Use only plain unscented bleach, never scented, splashless, or gel. At about 200 ppm a potable-water rinse is required. Never combine with vinegar or ammonia.
• Wooden cutting boards (daily care)
  Use: Hand-wash with hot water and dish soap right after use, then stand on edge to air-dry both faces. Scrub odors with coarse salt or baking-soda paste. Recondition every 2 to 3 weeks with food-grade mineral oil or a mineral-oil-and-beeswax cream.
  Careful: Never put it in the dishwasher or let it soak, which warps, cracks, and splits the wood. Do not use olive or vegetable oil, which go rancid. Discard boards with deep uncleanable cracks or grooves.
• Plastic and acrylic cutting boards
  Use: Hot soapy water after every use, or run non-porous plastic, acrylic, and glass boards through the dishwasher to clean and heat-sanitize. Keep one board for raw meat and a separate one for produce and ready-to-eat food.
  Careful: Keep laminated boards out of the dishwasher, since they crack. Replace any board covered in deep knife scratches, since grooves shelter bacteria that washing cannot flush.
• Sponges
  Use: Wet fully, then microwave 1 to 2 minutes or run through a full heated-dry dishwasher cycle daily. Or soak in a weak bleach solution about a minute, then rinse. Dry completely between uses and replace every week or two.
  Careful: Never microwave a dry sponge or one with a metal scrub pad, since it can catch fire or spark. A smelly sponge signals entrenched bacteria, so toss it. Do not wipe raw-meat juices with a sponge you then use on clean surfaces.
• Dishcloths and dish towels
  Use: Start each day with a fresh cloth, dry it fully between uses, and launder in hot water on a sanitize or hot cycle. Keep a dedicated cloth for raw-meat areas, or use disposable paper towels for those spills.
  Careful: Do not reuse a damp cloth all day or leave it balled up wet, since warm moisture breeds bacteria. Do not use the same cloth on raw-meat surfaces and then on clean dishes or ready-to-eat food.
• Washing dishes by hand
  Use: Scrape, then wash in hot soapy water from cleanest to dirtiest, rinse, and air-dry in a rack. For a sanitizing step, soak washed items in the bleach solution or in about 170 F water for at least 30 seconds. Change wash water once it turns greasy or cool.
  Careful: Household hot water (capped near 120 F) cleans but does not sanitize, so high-risk items need the added bleach soak or a dishwasher. Do not towel-dry with a used cloth, and do not let dishes sit in tepid dirty water.
• Washing dishes in a dishwasher
  Use: The dishwasher both cleans and sanitizes at temperatures hand washing cannot match. Scrape but skip pre-rinsing, and use the heated-dry or sanitize cycle after illness or raw-meat prep. Dishwasher-safe plastic and acrylic boards go on the top rack.
  Careful: Keep out solid-wood boards, cast iron, carbon-steel knives, insulated items, and anything not marked dishwasher-safe. Do not block the spray arms or dishes come out soiled.

Countertops and stone

• Granite, marble, quartzite (natural stone): daily cleaning
  Use: Warm water with a few drops of mild dish soap, or a pH-neutral stone cleaner, on a soft cloth, then dry with microfiber. Wipe spills promptly. Seal porous stone on schedule and check with a water-drop test.
  Careful: No vinegar, lemon, citrus sprays, or glass cleaners, which etch marble and quartzite and strip granite's sealer. No bleach, ammonia, scouring powders, or abrasive pads. Do raw-meat cutting on a sanitizable board, not the stone.
• Granite and stone: disinfecting
  Use: 70% isopropyl alcohol at full strength. Spray on, dwell 3 to 5 minutes, wipe dry with microfiber. If you only have 91%-plus, dilute toward 70% (roughly 3 parts alcohol to 1 part water).
  Careful: Do not dilute 70% alcohol 50/50 with water, which drops it to about 35% and stops disinfecting (effective range is 60 to 90%). Do not routinely sanitize stone with bleach, vinegar, or ammonia, which erode the sealer.
• Granite and stone: oil or deep-set stains
  Use: Draw the stain out with a poultice: a paste of baking soda and water spread over the mark, covered with taped plastic wrap for 24 to 48 hours, then rinsed and dried. Repeat if faint.
  Careful: Do not attack it with acidic degreasers or scouring powder, which etch and scratch. Blot oil spills fast rather than smear them, since sitting oil migrates into the stone.
• Marble, limestone, travertine (calcareous stone)
  Use: A pH-neutral stone cleaner or mild dish soap in warm water, then rinse and dry. Blot acidic spills (wine, citrus, tomato, coffee) the instant they land. Repair etch marks with a marble polishing or honing powder.
  Careful: Never use vinegar, lemon, or any acidic, citrus, or bathroom cleaner. These stones are calcium carbonate, so acid dissolves the surface into dull chalky etch marks almost instantly. Etching is damage, not a stain, so stain removers will not fix it.
• Soapstone and quartzite
  Use: Soapstone: any mild soap and water, plus food-grade mineral oil to deepen color; it is dense, acid-proof, and never needs sealing. True quartzite: mild soap or pH-neutral cleaner, seal about yearly, and confirm it is real quartzite.
  Careful: Soapstone is soft, so avoid dragging heavy or sharp cookware. Slabs sold as soft quartzite (Super White, Fantasy Brown) are actually dolomitic marble and WILL etch from acids.
• Engineered quartz (Caesarstone, Silestone, Caraway type)
  Use: Warm water with mild dish soap, or a non-abrasive surface spray (Silestone lists 409, Fantastik, Windex). Non-porous, never needs sealing. To disinfect, use diluted bleach briefly per the label, then rinse. Always use trivets.
  Careful: The resin binder is damaged by heat and undiluted bleach, so no hot pans direct, no oven or drain cleaners, no strong acids or solvents. Prolonged direct sun can yellow it. No abrasives, which leave permanent dull spots.
• Solid surface (Corian)
  Use: Soapy water or a non-abrasive cleaner, then towel dry to avoid a hazy film. Disinfect with diluted bleach (about 1 part bleach to 100 parts water), then rinse. On matte finishes, buff minor scratches with a white Scotch-Brite pad.
  Careful: Full-strength bleach, acetone, and strong solvents damage it. Do not buff a high-gloss finish yourself, since abrasive pads leave dull patches. Use a trivet, since strong heat can mark or crack it.
• Laminate (Formica)
  Use: A damp non-abrasive cloth with mild dish soap. Baking-soda paste for stubborn marks; a little acetone or rubbing alcohol for ink, then rinse. Always use trivets and cut on a board. Dry seams and edges.
  Careful: No abrasive pads, steel wool, acid, alkali, or bleach, which dull, etch, and discolor the finish permanently. Do not flood near seams, since water swells the particleboard core. Hot pans and knives cause permanent damage that cannot be refinished.
• Butcher block and wood counters
  Use: Wipe with warm soapy water and dry right away. Sanitize with equal parts white vinegar and water. Re-oil with food-grade mineral oil or a mineral-oil-and-beeswax cream every 3 to 4 weeks at first, then when water stops beading.
  Careful: Never soak, flood, or leave standing water or wet cloths on the wood, which swells, warps, and grows mold. Do not use cooking oils, which turn rancid. An oiled top is not stain- or heat-proof, so use a board for raw meat and trivets for pans.
• Ceramic and porcelain tile counters (and grout)
  Use: Mild dish soap or a tile cleaner on the glaze; a baking-soda paste on stuck spots. For ceramic grout, scrub baking-soda paste or hydrogen peroxide with a soft brush, rinse, dry, then seal periodically.
  Careful: Grout lines are the weak point, so keep harsh acids off them. If the tile itself is natural stone, skip vinegar, bleach, and peroxide grout tricks, which etch or discolor the stone. Skip metal scrapers on the glaze.
• Stainless steel counters and sinks
  Use: Warm water and dish soap or a stainless cleaner on a soft cloth, wiping with the grain, then rinse and dry to prevent spots. Baking-soda paste or Bar Keepers Friend, worked with the grain, lifts stuck grime and dull stains.
  Careful: Do not leave chlorine bleach sitting on it or use it routinely. Chloride attacks the protective chromium-oxide layer and causes permanent pitting. Avoid steel wool, which scratches and leaves rusting iron particles. If you bleach-sanitize, keep it dilute, brief, and rinsed.

Pots, pans, and bakeware

• Cast iron (routine)
  Use: Wash by hand while warm with hot water and a stiff brush; a little dish soap is fine. Scrub stuck bits with coarse salt or simmer water to loosen. Dry completely right away, then rub on a very thin coat of neutral oil and buff off.
  Careful: No dishwasher, no soaking, no air-drying, since standing moisture rusts bare iron fast. Reserve steel wool for actual rust. Do not store with a tight lid that traps moisture.
• Cast iron (rust removal and re-seasoning)
  Use: Scour rust down to bare metal with steel wool, wash, and dry fully. Rub on a very thin coat of neutral oil, wipe off all excess, and bake upside down at 450 to 500 F for one hour with a sheet pan underneath. Cool in the oven; repeat for a stronger finish.
  Careful: Do not leave oil pooled or thick before baking, which bakes into a sticky, flaking layer. Do not skip full drying before oiling. Only strip bare (unenameled) iron this way, never enameled pieces.
• Carbon steel pans and woks
  Use: Treat like cast iron. Cool slightly, wash by hand with hot water and a brush, dry immediately (a short spell over low heat helps), then rub in a thin coat of oil. Season before first use and re-oil after each wash.
  Careful: No dishwasher and no long soak. Go easy on dish soap, which can cut into seasoning. Skip steel wool for routine cleaning, and avoid cooking very acidic foods in a young, lightly seasoned pan.
• Stainless steel (tri-ply) pans and pots
  Use: Hand-wash with warm soapy water and a nylon pad. Simmer water with a little baking soda to lift stuck food. For heat tint and dull stains, rub a Bar Keepers Friend or Bon Ami paste with a soft cloth, then rinse. Boil 1:1 vinegar and water for chalky mineral spots.
  Careful: Hand-wash even dishwasher-safe lines, since harsh detergent dulls the finish. Avoid bleach and peroxide, which pit the steel. Do not add salt to cold water before it boils (pitting), and never run a hot empty pan under cold water (warping).
• Nonstick PTFE (Teflon-type) pans
  Use: Cool, then hand-wash with warm soapy water and a soft sponge. Simmer a little water with baking soda for residue. Use only wood, silicone, nylon, or plastic utensils, cook on low to medium heat, and replace once scratched or flaking.
  Careful: Metal utensils, steel wool, and abrasive cleansers ruin the coating. Skip the dishwasher and never preheat empty or use high heat, since overheated PTFE releases fumes dangerous to pet birds. Avoid aerosol cooking spray, which bakes on a film.
• Ceramic-coated nonstick (GreenPan, Caraway type)
  Use: Hand-wash after cooling with warm soapy water and a soft sponge; simmer soapy water for stuck-on food. Cook on low to medium heat and use silicone, wood, or nylon tools with a little oil or butter.
  Careful: Avoid the dishwasher even when permitted, since detergent salts and bleach break the coating down. No aerosol cooking spray, which carbonizes into a sticky film. No steel wool, metal utensils, or abrasive cleansers.
• Enameled cast iron (Le Creuset, Staub)
  Use: Cool, then hand-wash with warm water, mild soap, and a nylon sponge. Soak or simmer water to loosen stuck food. For interior stains, gently rub a baking-soda-and-water paste, then rinse and dry.
  Careful: Avoid thermal shock (no cold water into a hot pot), which cracks or chips the enamel. No metal pads, wire brushes, or abrasive powders. Bar Keepers Friend dulls the glossy enamel. Hand-wash, since frequent dishwashing dulls the finish.
• Copper cookware (tin-lined interior)
  Use: Wash the tin interior gently by hand with warm water, mild soap, and a non-scratch sponge once cooled. Cook with fat or liquid at medium heat. Have the tin professionally re-lined when it wears thin.
  Careful: No dishwasher. Keep Bar Keepers Friend, Soft Scrub, steel wool, and metal utensils off the soft tin. Never heat empty or on high, since tin melts near 450 F. Limit long cooking of very acidic foods.
• Copper exterior (polishing tarnish)
  Use: Restore shine with a copper polish or a paste of fine salt plus lemon juice or vinegar (ketchup works). Spread, wait a few minutes, wipe off, wash with warm soapy water, and dry fully. Bar Keepers Friend works on heavy tarnish on bare exterior copper.
  Careful: Keep acidic polishes and abrasives off the tin lining and any lacquered decorative copper, which strips the lacquer. Do not let copper air-dry, since water spots and tarnish return quickly.
• Bare aluminum and hard-anodized cookware
  Use: Hand-wash with warm water, dish soap, and a nonabrasive sponge, then dry promptly. To brighten darkening, simmer a mildly acidic solution (cream of tartar, lemon, or a splash of vinegar) 10 to 15 minutes. Bar Keepers Friend lifts stuck spots on bare aluminum.
  Careful: No bleach, no strongly alkaline cleaners, and no dishwasher, which pit and turn raw aluminum chalky. Limit very acidic or salty foods, which pit the metal. Do not scour hard-anodized aluminum with abrasives.
• Glass and Pyrex bakeware
  Use: Wash with warm soapy water; most modern Pyrex is dishwasher-safe. Soak or apply a baking-soda paste for baked-on residue. Cool on a dry cloth or rack, and always preheat the oven before putting glass in.
  Careful: Thermal shock is the danger. Do not move glass between temperature extremes or add cold liquid to a hot dish, which can shatter it. Keep it off the stovetop, out from under the broiler, and off open flame.

Appliances and cooktops

• Stainless steel appliance fronts
  Use: Warm water with a few drops of mild dish soap on a microfiber cloth, wiping with the grain, then dry immediately to stop streaks. Use a dedicated stainless cleaner for fingerprints, or Bar Keepers Friend Soft Cleanser lightly with the grain for rust flecks.
  Careful: No bleach or any chloride cleaner, which breaks the passive layer and causes permanent pitting. No steel wool or abrasive powders. Skip ammonia, acids, and oven cleaners, and never scrub across the grain. On fingerprint-resistant finishes, use only mild soap and water.
• Glass-ceramic smooth cooktops (radiant, induction)
  Use: Let it cool to warm. Lift stuck food with a single-edge razor cooktop scraper at about 45 degrees. Apply a dab of ceramic cooktop cream (affresh, Cerama Bryte, Weiman), rub with the approved white pad, let it haze, then buff dry.
  Careful: No steel wool, abrasive powders, or scouring pads, which permanently dull the glass. No bleach, ammonia, or rust remover. Never apply cleaner to a hot surface. Remove sugary boilovers immediately while warm, since melted sugar pits the glass.
• Gas burner grates, caps, and ports
  Use: Remove when cool. Wash grates and caps by hand in hot water with grease-cutting dish soap and a non-abrasive scrubber, soaking or applying baking-soda paste to burned-on spots. Clear clogged ports with a metal paperclip or pin. Dry fully before returning.
  Careful: Burner caps are generally not dishwasher-safe. Avoid abrasives on porcelain-enamel, which chips. Never use a wooden toothpick on ports (it can snap off and block gas), and never leave grates or caps in a self-clean cycle, which warps them.
• Oven interior (manual cleaning)
  Use: Coat soiled areas with a thick baking-soda-and-water paste, leave several hours or overnight, then wipe off; a light vinegar spray lifts the last residue. Soak racks separately in hot soapy water. If you use commercial oven cleaner, ventilate, wear gloves, and keep it off the gasket, elements, and fan.
  Careful: Do NOT use lye-based oven cleaner in a self-cleaning oven or on catalytic liners, which it destroys. Keep it off the door gasket and heating elements. Never inhale the caustic fumes, apply to a warm oven, or use abrasives on the enamel.
• Oven racks
  Use: Soak in a tub or basin of very hot water with grease-cutting dish soap for several hours or overnight; dryer sheets or baking soda plus a splash of vinegar speed it up. Scrub with a nylon brush, rinse, and dry fully to prevent rust.
  Careful: Remove racks BEFORE a self-clean cycle, since the heat discolors them, burns off the slick coating, and can warp them. Some coated or nickel-plated racks are damaged by harsh cleaners, so check the manual.
• Self-clean cycle
  Use: Use the high-heat cycle a few times a year for a heavily baked-on oven. Remove all racks, foil, and cookware, wipe out loose debris, ventilate, then wipe the ash once cool. For light messes, a baking-soda paste or a steam-clean cycle is gentler.
  Careful: The heat stresses parts and can blow fuses or control boards, so run it when home and not before a big meal. Move pet birds out of the home entirely, since the fumes can be lethal to them. Never line the oven bottom with foil during it.
• Range hood grease filters
  Use: Soak metal mesh or baffle filters in very hot water with grease-cutting dish soap and about a quarter cup baking soda for 15 to 30 minutes, scrub, rinse, and dry fully. For aluminum filters, keep the soak short and use plain hot water and dish soap only. Clean every 1 to 3 months.
  Careful: Alkaline dishwasher detergent turns aluminum filters chalky gray permanently, so hand-wash them. Do not soak aluminum in vinegar or lemon, which strips its oxide layer. Charcoal odor filters in ductless hoods are not washable and must be replaced.
• Microwave interior
  Use: Steam-loosen grime by microwaving a bowl of water with a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon slices 2 to 5 minutes, keep the door shut a few minutes, then wipe with a damp microfiber cloth. Baking-soda paste lifts stubborn spots. Wash the glass tray in soapy water.
  Careful: No abrasive pads, steel wool, bleach, ammonia, or oven cleaner, since residue and fumes end up near food. Keep water out of the vents and do not soak or scrub off the mica waveguide cover on the interior wall.
• Refrigerator interior
  Use: Wipe walls, shelves, and bins with about 2 tablespoons baking soda in a quart of warm water, which also deodorizes. Wash removable glass and plastic shelves separately in mild soapy water (let cold glass warm first), and wipe gaskets with the same solution. Rinse and dry.
  Careful: No abrasive or harsh cleaners, window sprays, concentrated detergents, or bleach on the plastic liners and gaskets, which crack or cloud them. Never plunge cold glass shelves into hot water, since thermal shock cracks them.
• Dishwasher interior
  Use: Pull and rinse the bottom filter monthly, and wipe the door edges, gasket, and dispenser. Run an affresh cleaner tablet on a hot cycle, or set 2 cups white vinegar in a cup on the bottom rack and run a hot cycle with no detergent.
  Careful: Vinegar is an acid, so do not use it too often, since it can degrade rubber seals and gaskets. Do not run vinegar with detergent, never mix vinegar with bleach, and avoid bleach in a stainless-interior tub, which it pits.

Grease and burnt-on messes

• Greasy stovetop or cooktop
  Use: Wipe warm (not hot) with a soft cloth, hot water, and a few drops of grease-cutting dish soap; let a damp soapy cloth rest on stuck grease to soften it. On cold glass-ceramic, use cooktop cream or light baking-soda paste and a plastic razor scraper. Buff dry with microfiber.
  Careful: No scouring powders, steel wool, or Bar Keepers Friend on glossy glass-ceramic or painted enamel, which leave permanent scratches. Never spray cleaner on a warm surface, and keep water out of gas ignitors.
• Greasy backsplash (tile, glass, laminate)
  Use: Hot water plus grease-cutting dish soap on microfiber handles most film. Scrub a baking-soda paste into tile grout for set grease. Bar Keepers Friend is safe on ceramic tile, glass, and Formica, applied as a paste and rinsed within a minute.
  Careful: On painted walls or delicate finishes, skip abrasive powders and magic-eraser pads, which remove sheen. Test any stronger cleaner in a hidden corner first.
• Greasy cabinets (wood and painted)
  Use: Wring a soft cloth nearly dry in warm water with a few drops of dish soap and wipe with the grain, follow with a clean damp cloth, then dry immediately. For heavier buildup, add a splash of vinegar to the soapy water.
  Careful: No abrasive sponges, scouring pads, or magic erasers, which strip paint and finish. Limit water and never let it pool at seams or hinges. Spot-test painted or older finishes first.
• Burnt-on food on sheet pans and bakeware
  Use: Start with a hot soapy soak, the best first step. For tenacious polymerized oil, make a Bar Keepers Friend paste, let it sit no more than 1 minute, scrub with a non-scratch or chain-mail pad, then rinse well. An overnight baking-soda paste also softens buildup.
  Careful: Keep Bar Keepers Friend and steel wool off nonstick or coated bakeware, which they ruin. On bare aluminum, do not let BKF or alkaline soaks dwell, since they darken and etch it. Rinse well, since residue discolors the pan.
• Burnt-on food in stainless pots
  Use: Deglaze while warm: add water (some add a splash of vinegar), simmer, and scrape with a wooden or silicone tool. Off heat, sprinkle in baking soda to help release residue. For remaining marks, apply a Bar Keepers Friend paste about a minute, scrub, rinse, and dry.
  Careful: Do not shock a hot empty pan with cold water (warping). Skip steel wool on a mirror-polished exterior. Rinse all BKF off, since leftover acid residue can etch stainless if left to dry.
• Burnt-on food in enameled pots (Le Creuset, Staub)
  Use: Fill with warm water and 1 to 2 tablespoons baking soda and simmer 8 to 10 minutes to soften stuck food, then cool, drain, and clean with a soft sponge or nylon brush and dish soap. A warm soapy soak handles lighter messes.
  Careful: No steel wool, metal pads, or dry scouring powder, since enamel scratches easily. Avoid Bar Keepers Friend, which dulls the glossy enamel. Avoid thermal shock, since cold water into a hot pot can craze or chip it.
• Baked-on grime inside the oven
  Use: Spread a baking-soda-and-water paste over interior surfaces, avoiding the elements and fan, and leave 12 hours or overnight. Scrape and wipe off with a damp cloth, spritzing stubborn spots with a little vinegar to fizz and release. Soak racks separately.
  Careful: Keep paste off heating elements, gas ports, and the fan. On heavy grease, skip the self-clean cycle, which can bake grease into a harder film and stress the gasket. Never combine oven cleaners with bleach.

Hard water, sinks, and drains

• Hard-water spots on faucets and metal fixtures
  Use: Wipe on a 50/50 white vinegar and water solution briefly, or drape a vinegar-dampened cloth over the aerator and spout a short time, then rinse well and dry. Daily, use mild dish soap and towel dry. Soak a clogged aerator in vinegar.
  Careful: Use vinegar only briefly, then rinse; do not let it soak. Avoid abrasive pads, steel wool, ammonia, bleach, and solvents, especially on matte, bronze, brushed, and PVD finishes, which dull or strip. Improper care may void the warranty.
• Hard-water spots on a stainless sink
  Use: Clean with mild dish soap along the grain, rinse, and towel dry after use. For mineral stains, use Bar Keepers Friend or a stainless cleaner with the grain and rinse. A brief 50/50 vinegar wipe removes spots if rinsed right after.
  Careful: No steel wool, wire brushes, or scouring pads, which scratch and leave rusting iron particles. Do not let bleach or chlorine cleaners sit in the basin, which pit and corrode stainless. Do not leave any acid standing; rinse and dry.
• Hard-water spots on quartz and stone counters
  Use: On engineered quartz and solid surface, use a quartz-safe descaler or a short dwell of a mild non-abrasive cleaner, then buff dry. The best prevention on any counter is drying the surface after use so minerals do not deposit.
  Careful: Do NOT use vinegar or lemon on natural stone, which etches marble and limestone and weakens granite's seal. On quartz, avoid strong acid descalers and stay with manufacturer-approved products to protect the resin.
• Stone around the sink (marble, travertine, granite)
  Use: Use only a pH-neutral stone cleaner or mild dish soap and water, then dry. Buff hard-water spots gently with a stone-safe product. Keep kettle, coffee-maker, and dishwasher descaling liquids off stone.
  Careful: Never use vinegar, citric acid, lemon, or any acid on calcium-carbonate stone, which etches permanently within minutes. Granite and quartzite resist acid better, but vinegar strips their sealer over time.
• Cloudy glassware
  Use: Rub white vinegar on a cloudy spot. If it clears, it is hard-water film, so soak in undiluted vinegar 5 to 15 minutes, then wash and dry. Use a rinse aid and a hotter wash to keep film from returning.
  Careful: If vinegar does not clear it, the glass is permanently etched and nothing repairs it. Prevent etching by using less detergent, adding rinse aid, and skipping heated dry on delicate glass.
• Garbage disposal
  Use: With cold water running, grind a handful of ice cubes plus a cup of coarse salt to knock debris off the grinders, then grind citrus peels for scent. Scrub the rubber splash guard by hand, since it traps most of the odor. Baking soda then warm vinegar is an acceptable light freshener.
  Careful: Never put your hand into the disposal. Do not use bleach or harsh drain cleaners, which splash back and corrode metal parts. Do not pour grease down it. Always run cold water while grinding.
• Slow or smelly sink drain
  Use: For odor and maintenance, pour in baking soda then hot vinegar, let it fizz 10 to 15 minutes, and flush with plenty of very hot water (not boiling on PVC). For an actual slow drain, remove the clog physically with a plunger, a hand snake, or by cleaning the P-trap.
  Careful: The baking-soda-and-vinegar fizz is largely a myth for real clogs, since the two neutralize into salty water too weak to dissolve grease or hair. Treat it as a freshener only, and go easy on repeated chemical drain cleaners, which damage older pipes.
• Descaling a kettle
  Use: Every 1 to 2 months, use a citric-acid descaling powder (about 1 oz per 32 oz) in hot water 5 minutes, or 1 to 2 tablespoons citric acid per liter, then boil 1 to 2 kettles of plain water to rinse. A 50/50 vinegar solution is a budget backup.
  Careful: Citric acid is preferred over vinegar, which is corrosive and does not fully remove scale. Always boil plain water afterward or tea and coffee taste sour. Do not scratch the exposed metal element, and check the manual for models that warn against acid.
• Descaling a coffee maker or pod machine
  Use: Descale a drip maker every 1 to 3 months and a pod machine every 3 to 6 months, using a citric-acid or branded descaler run through the cycle (or the descale mode), then 2 to 3 plain-water cycles or 3-plus tank rinses.
  Careful: Vinegar soaks into porous plastic and rubber and leaves a sour taste for weeks. Never skip the rinse cycles. Keurig and other makers may void the warranty for non-branded descalers, so check the manual, and never load a pod during a descale cycle.
• Descaling an espresso machine
  Use: Use the machine's built-in descale cycle with the maker's descaler (De'Longhi EcoDecalk, Breville's own), then run several water-only flushes. Follow the manual exactly, including any liquid-versus-powder rule.
  Careful: This is the main place to avoid vinegar. Acetic acid degrades seals, gaskets, and O-rings, lingers as a taste, and is slower and less effective. Breville, De'Longhi, and Nespresso commonly void the warranty for vinegar or DIY descaling.

Cleaning agents at a glance

What each common product is genuinely good at, and where it does damage.

• Dish soap (liquid detergent)
  Best for: Your default. Diluted in warm water it lifts grease and food from dishes, cookware, glass, ceramic, plastic, sealed stone, stainless, and finished wood. Near-neutral pH, so it is safe on the widest range of surfaces.
  Avoid on: It cleans but does not sanitize, so do not rely on it to disinfect. Do not leave cast iron or carbon steel soaking or air-drying, since prolonged water causes rust. Avoid standing water on unfinished or waxed wood.
• White vinegar (5% acetic acid) and citric acid
  Best for: Dissolving hard-water scale and mineral deposits. Descale kettles, coffee makers, and dishwashers, clear limescale from faucets and glass, cut soap scum, and deodorize. Citric acid does the same with less smell.
  Avoid on: Never on natural stone (etches marble, limestone, travertine; strips granite's sealer), cast iron and carbon steel (strips seasoning), unlacquered brass, aluminum, waxed wood, or rubber gaskets. Never mix with bleach or with hydrogen peroxide.
• Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
  Best for: A gentle scouring powder and deodorizer. Lifts baked-on food from sinks, sheet pans, and scorched pots, scrubs stovetops, and absorbs odors. Use as a wet paste, then rinse.
  Avoid on: Still abrasive, so it scratches glossy or mirror finishes, glass cooktops, and nonstick coatings. Being alkaline, it discolors aluminum. Avoid on gold leaf, antiques, and polished stone. Mixing it with vinegar mostly cancels both out.
• Chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite)
  Best for: Killing bacteria, viruses, and mold. Sanitize food-contact surfaces with about 1 tablespoon unscented bleach per gallon (about 200 ppm) after cleaning; disinfect (illness, mold) at 5 tablespoons (1/3 cup) per gallon. Mix fresh, ventilate, wear gloves.
  Avoid on: Corrodes and pits stainless steel and other metals, discolors aluminum, colored grout, natural stone, and some plastics. Never mix with ammonia or with any acid. Rinse metal and food-contact surfaces after use.
• Hydrogen peroxide 3%
  Best for: A gentler alternative to bleach. Disinfect cutting boards and hard surfaces, brighten grout, lift organic stains, and deodorize. Does not corrode stainless and breaks down into water and oxygen. Dwell 5 to 10 minutes, then wipe or rinse.
  Avoid on: Can bleach fabrics, colored grout, some finishes, and porous stone, so spot-test. Loses potency in light. Never combine with vinegar in one container (forms corrosive peracetic acid).
• 70% isopropyl or ethanol alcohol
  Best for: Fast-drying, streak-free disinfection and grease removal on stainless, appliance exteriors, glass, sealed counters, and small-appliance shells. 70% kills better than 91%, since water helps it penetrate. Keep wet about 30 seconds, then air dry.
  Avoid on: FLAMMABLE, so keep away from flame, gas pilots, and sparks. Can cloud or whiten some plastics and acrylic and dull painted, lacquered, or finished surfaces, so spot-test. Dries out rubber gaskets over time.
• Household ammonia
  Best for: A strong grease cutter and streak-free glass cleaner. Best for mirrors, windows, and soaking baked-on grease off oven racks and broiler pans. Dilute per label, ventilate, and rinse any food-contact surface.
  Avoid on: NEVER mix with bleach (toxic chloramine gas). Corrodes and darkens aluminum and anodized aluminum, streaks marble, granite, and lacquered surfaces, and is harsh on rubber and some plastics.
• Commercial degreaser / oven cleaner (caustic, often lye-based)
  Best for: Heavy baked-on grease and carbon that ordinary cleaners cannot shift: ovens, range hoods, backsplashes, grill grates, and exhaust filters. Apply, dwell per label, agitate, then rinse thoroughly. Ventilate and wear gloves and eye protection.
  Avoid on: Etches and darkens aluminum, strips seasoning off cast iron and carbon steel, dulls natural stone, and damages some paint and plastics. Never use inside a self-clean oven or on catalytic liners. Never mix with bleach or acids.
• Bar Keepers Friend (oxalic-acid cleanser)
  Best for: Restoring shine and removing rust, hard-water and lime deposits, heat tint, and burnt-on residue from stainless cookware and sinks, porcelain, ceramic, glass cooktops, copper, and brass. Make a paste, scrub gently, rinse within about a minute.
  Avoid on: Nonstick coatings, gold, silver, pewter, lacquered or anodized aluminum, mirrored surfaces, marble, granite and other polished stone, colored grout, wood, enamelware, and cast iron. Never let it dry on any surface, and never mix with bleach.
• Enzyme cleaners (proteases, lipases, amylases)
  Best for: Digesting organic messes (protein, food, grease, starch). Maintain and deodorize drains, disposals, grease traps, and septic systems, and remove organic stains and odors from porous surfaces. Apply with a long dwell and warm, not hot, water.
  Avoid on: The live enzymes are killed by hot or boiling water, bleach, strong disinfectants, and acids, so do not combine them. They are slow, for maintenance not sudden total clogs, and are not an EPA-registered disinfectant.

The rules that keep you safe

• Never mix bleach with ammonia. The reaction releases toxic chloramine gas.
• Never mix bleach with vinegar, lemon, or any acid, including Bar Keepers Friend. It releases toxic chlorine gas.
• Never mix bleach with rubbing alcohol, which can form chloroform and other toxic chlorinated compounds.
• Never combine hydrogen peroxide and vinegar in the same container, which forms corrosive peracetic acid.
• Use one cleaner at a time. Rinse the surface fully and ventilate before switching products.
• Watch for hidden ammonia in glass and multi-surface sprays and hidden acid in toilet, tub, and lime cleaners, so read labels before combining anything with bleach.
• Always clean off grease and food first, then sanitize. Disinfectant cannot reach germs hiding under residue.
• Rinse food-contact surfaces with clean potable water after using disinfecting-strength bleach, and let them air dry.
• Keep the surface visibly wet for the product's full contact time; do not spray and immediately wipe.
• Never pour bleach or harsh chemicals into a drain treated with an enzyme cleaner.
• Never use lye-based oven cleaner inside a self-cleaning oven or on catalytic liners, and keep it off the door gasket and heating elements.
• Move pet birds out of the home entirely before running a self-clean oven cycle or overheating a nonstick pan; the fumes can be lethal to them.
• Never put your hand into a garbage disposal.
• If you mix chemicals by accident and smell fumes, get fresh air immediately and call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

Cheaper swaps that work just as well

You do not need to buy all of this. A lot of the pricier bottles have a cheap version that does the same job.

• Stainless steel cleaner: warm water and a drop of dish soap, dried with the grain. For shine, buff on a tiny bit of oil with a cloth.
• Stone cleaner: a few drops of dish soap in warm water is genuinely fine on sealed granite, marble, and quartz. The branded bottle is convenience, not necessity.
• Cutting board conditioner: plain food-grade mineral oil from the pharmacy is the same thing as most board oils, for a fraction of the price. Skip cooking oils, which go rancid.
• Disinfecting spray: the USDA bleach solution, 1 tablespoon of unscented bleach per gallon of water, sanitizes for pennies. 70% alcohol is the other cheap option.
• Cooktop cream: a baking-soda paste plus a cheap single-edge razor scraper handles most of what a kit does, on a cooled glass cooktop.
• Descaler for kettles and drip coffee: food-grade citric acid costs a fraction of branded descaler per use. Exception: for espresso and pod machines, use the maker's descaler so you do not void the warranty.
• Enzyme drain cleaner: for upkeep, a weekly flush of very hot water and dish soap keeps drains clear. Save the enzyme bottle for when the odor sets in.
• Bar Keepers Friend: for light jobs a baking-soda paste scrubs fine. Bring out the real thing for rust, heat tint, and burnt-on messes.

Sources

The food-safety and chemical-safety guidance here comes from government agencies. Material-specific care (stone, cookware, appliances) follows the manufacturers' own guidance.

• USDA FSIS, Cutting Boards and Food Safety
• USDA FSIS, Washing Food: Does It Promote Food Safety?
• USDA FSIS, Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart
• CDC, When and How to Clean and Disinfect Your Home
• EPA, Selected EPA-Registered Disinfectants
• Poison Control, Chlorine Gas